To fully understand the meaning of the term helium, it is necessary to discover, first of all, its etymological origin. In this case we can establish that it derives from Greek, specifically from “helios”, which is synonymous with “Sun”.
The concept came to our language as helium , a term that refers to the chemical element whose atomic number is 2 .
Helium is part of the noble gases group. It is a substance with a large presence in the universe, although it is not abundant in the crust of our planet .
The etymology of helium is linked to the Sun since, in the 19th century , it was inferred that it was present in the atmosphere of the most important star in the solar system. It was the Frenchman Pierre Jansen who, during a solar eclipse that took place in 1868 , discovered a yellow line in the light of the Sun that until then was not known. Observing this eclipse, the British Norman Lockyer postulated that the line was generated by a new element which he named helium.
With the symbol He , helium is a non-flammable gas under normal temperature and pressure conditions. Due to its very low solidification point, it is the only liquid that does not solidify when the temperature is reduced.
Although its concentration is low in the Earth 's atmosphere, helium is the second most abundant element in the universe. It is only surpassed by hydrogen .
The cooling of superconductors and the development of cryogenics are some of the uses given to helium, which can also be used to fill airships and balloons and in diving. A peculiarity of this gas is that, if a person inhales a small amount, their voice changes, becoming higher pitched.
In addition to everything indicated, we must not overlook that Helios or Helios is an important figure in Greek mythology. Specifically, he is the personification of the Sun and is the son of two titans: Hyperion and Thea. Its equivalent in Roman mythology, we can indicate, was the Sun.
He was represented as a god crowned with a bright halo like a sun and driving a chariot that circulated through the sky. Chariot that was pulled by four horses: Pirois, Éoo, Aetón and Phlegon, whose names could be translated as igneous, dawn, resplendent and fiery respectively.
One of the stories that has transcended the most about the figure of Helio or Helios is that his son, Phaethon, did not hesitate to borrow his car and this "adventure" caused him to lose control of the vehicle and end up setting the Earth on fire.
It must be established that, over the years, this character ended up identifying with the god of light, Apollo.
To all of the above, we can add that Helios is also the name of a brand that has been preparing all types of jams and candied fruits for more than a century. However, over time it has also included everything from fruit in syrup to honey or pickles in its catalogue, for example.