In 1868 the English astronomer
Sir William Huggins analyzed the
spectrum of light emitted by
several nebulae. He discovered
the presence of light, which due
to their peculiar wavelengths,
could not be emitted from any known
earthly element. To account for
these oddities, he introduced
a new hypothetical element,
which he called Nebulium.
In 1927, American physicist and
astronomer Ira Bowen correctly
determined the origin of these
spectral lines; they were in fact
emitted from ionized oxygen
and nitrogen, but only in
conditions impossible to
recreate on Earth.