Joseph Lockyer was an amateur astronomer with a genuine passion for the subject. During the 19th century he would go on to be the co-discoverer of the second most abundant element in our universe and the founder of one of science’s most influential journals: Nature.
Lockyer used the Sun’s spectrum to discover helium
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Born on 17 May 1836 in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, Lockyer delved into the world of physics concerning celestial bodies in 1859 after the discovery of spectroscopic analysis. This new scientific technique involved splitting up the light from a source into a spectrum, visually similar to a rainbow. This groundbreaking technique opened the door to the study of the elementary make-up of celestial objects, and this was the basis of what made Lockyer a renowned astronomical pioneer.