helium is called a noble gas, because it does not regularly mix with other chemicals and form new 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 react with anything else. astronomers detected the presence of helium in 1868, when its spectrum was identified in light from the sun. this was before its discovery on earth.