New element in periodic table to be named after Yuri Oganessian

PanARMENIAN.Net - One of the four new elements recently added to the periodic table – with an atomic number of 118 – will be named oganesson (Og), which bears the name of Russian physicist Yuri Oganessian, who led several elemental discoveries, Vox reports.

This is only the second time an element has been named for a living scientist.

After months of suspense, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has announced the proposed names of all the four new elements.

Nihonium, named after Japan (Nippon is a Japanese word for Japan), with an atomic number of 113. Its symbol is Nh.

Moscovium (Mc), element 115, named after the Russian capital city.

Tennessine (Ts), 117, named after — you guessed it — the state of Tennessee. ("Tennessine is in recognition of the contribution of the Tennessee region, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, to superheavy element research," the IUPAC states.)

The elements were announced in January (or rather, the confirmation of the discoveries were announced). And by IUPAC rules, the scientists who made the discoveries were then allowed to propose names.

The proposed names will be confirmed after a five-month period of public review.