The last element in Mendeleev's periodic table. Number 118. It closes the seventh period and completes the standard periodic system. Named after Yuri Oganessian — a physicist who led the discovery of seven superheavy elements. This is only the second time an element was named after a living person. Oganesson is a 'noble gas' by table position, but theory predicts it will be solid. Fewer than 10 of its atoms have ever been synthesized.
Yuri Oganessian is a physicist of Armenian descent who devoted his life to synthesizing superheavy elements. Under his leadership, Dubna discovered elements 104, 105, 106, 107 (confirmation), and 113-118. No other scientist has contributed to the discovery of so many elements.
Oganesson is a true quantum puzzle. Calculations show its electron cloud may not be shell-like but uniformly smeared — like an 'electron gas.' If confirmed, it would be the first element with a fundamentally new atomic structure.
Oganesson is extremely radioactive and exists less than a millisecond. It's synthesized in microscopic quantities. It poses no practical threat — it simply cannot be accumulated.
Yuri Oganessian is a living physicist with an element named after him. Before him, only Glenn Seaborg had that honor. Oganessian led the discovery of seven superheavy elements.
Oganesson is a 'noble gas' by table position, but theory predicts it will be SOLID at room temperature. Relativistic effects make it unique among all elements.
Fewer than 10 atoms of oganesson have ever been synthesized. Each existed less than a millisecond. It's the least studied element in the table.
Calculations predict oganesson's electrons don't form distinct shells but smear into a uniform cloud — an 'electron gas.' This would shatter fundamental ideas about atomic structure.
Yuri Oganessian has contributed to the discovery of more elements than anyone in history. He's been working since the 1950s and remains active in science — he's over 90 years old.
| Isotope | Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-life | Decay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
294Og☢ | 294.213920 | synthetic | 0.69 ms | α |
295Og☢ | 295.216240 | synthetic | 181 ms | α |
Cyclotron bombardment of californium