Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10.

It is a
colorless, odorless, inert noble gas that is the second-lightest noble gas after helium.
Neon is commonly used in lighting applications, such as neon lights and signs, due
to its distinctive bright orange-red glow when an electrical current is passed through
it. It is also used in vacuum tubes, gas lasers, and cryogenics. Neon is relatively rare
in the Earth's atmosphere, but it is the fifth most abundant element in the universe by
mass. Neon is one of the noble gases, along with helium, argon, krypton, xenon, and
radon. These gases are characterized by their very low reactivity with other elements
and their stable electron configurations, which means they don't readily form
chemical bonds.

Neon was discovered in 1898 by Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay and his
colleague Morris Travers. They were studying the gases produced by liquefying air
and found that a small fraction of the gas was a previously unknown element, which
they named "neon" after the Greek word for "new."

Neon is produced in stars through nuclear fusion reactions. It is created when helium
and oxygen atoms fuse together under high temperatures and pressures. When
these stars eventually die and explode as supernovae, the neon they produced is
released into space and can eventually become incorporated into new stars and
planets.

Neon is present in the Earth's atmosphere at a concentration of about 18 parts per

million by volume, making it relatively rare compared to other gases like nitrogen and
oxygen. However, it is much more abundant in the universe as a whole, where it is the
fifth most abundant element by mass.

The distinctive orange-red glow of neon lights and signs is due to a phenomenon
called "gas discharge." When an electric current is passed through a tube filled with
neon gas at low pressure, the gas molecules become excited and emit light at
specific wavelengths. Different gases produce different colors of light, which is why
neon lights have their characteristic hue.

Neon has several practical applications beyond just lighting. For example, it is used
in gas lasers to produce a coherent beam of light, in vacuum tubes to help regulate
electrical currents, and in cryogenics to achieve very low temperatures. It is also
sometimes used as a refrigerant in certain applications.

Despite its low reactivity, neon can form a few compounds under very specific
conditions. For example, neon can react with fluorine to form neon fluoride, NeF,
under very high pressures. However, these compounds are generally unstable and
only exist under extreme laboratory conditions.