What is Helium?
{{Infobox helium|number=02|symbol=He|name=Helium}}{{Cleanup|reason=The atomic number went glitch and cannot be fixed|date=July 2024}}[[File:Goodyear-blimp.jpg|thumb|right|Because it is very light, helium is the gas of choice to fill [[airship]]s such as the [[Goodyear blimp]]]] '''Helium''' is a [[chemical element]]. It has the [[chemical symbol]] '''He''', [[atomic number]] 2, and atomic weight of about 4.002602. There are 9 [[isotope]]s of helium, only two of which are stable. These are <sup>3</sup>He and <sup>4</sup>He. <sup>4</sup>He is by far the most common isotope. Helium is called a [[noble gas]], because it does not regularly mix with other chemicals and form new [[Chemical compound|compounds]]. It has the lowest [[boiling point]] of all the elements. It is the second most common element in the [[universe]], after [[hydrogen]], and has no color or smell. However, helium has a red-orange glow when placed in an electric field. Helium does not usually [[Chemical reaction|react]] with anything else. Astronomers detected the presence of helium in 1868, when its spectrum was identified in light from the [[Sun]].<ref>Based on this location, its name was derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word for Sun, ''helios''.</ref> This was before its discovery on [[Earth]]. Helium is used to fill [[balloon]]s and [[airship]]s because its [[density]] is lighter than [[air]]. It does not burn, so is safe for that kind of use. It is also used in some kinds of [[light]] bulbs. People can breathe in helium: It makes their [[voice]]s sound higher than it normally does. This may seem [[joke|silly]], but it can actually be quite dangerous as if they breathe in too much, [[Hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]] can injure or kill them as they are not breathing normal air. Breathing too much helium can also cause long-term effects to [[vocal cords]]. Helium is created through the process of [[nuclear fusion]] in the Sun, and in similar stars. During this process, four hydrogen atoms are fused together to form one helium atom. On E