One of the greatest honors in science is to have something named after you. And now, Nicolaus Copernicus has had an element named after him. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has officially named element 112 Copernicium (abbreviated Cn). You probably remember Copernicus as the 16th century scientist who developed the first cohesive heliocentric theory of the solar system. But you may wonder what does that have to do with chemistry? Well in short, very little.
So why would the IUPAC decide to bestow such an honor on an astronomer? Did they run out of good chemists? Of course not. Rather, it is homage to one of the most important scientists (and scientific revelations) in history. And it is not without precedent. There is also Curium (96), Einsteinium (99) and Bohrium (107) for example. I must say its nice to see an astronomer getting some recognition.
Image available through public domain -- expired copyright
Comments