Clarkeite

/ˈklɑːrkiaɪt/ noun

Definition

A rare uranium oxide mineral composed primarily of uranium and oxygen with variable water content.

Etymology

Named after British mineralogist Arthur Maurice Clarke in the mid-20th century, following the scientific convention of honoring discoverers by appending the mineral suffix -ite.

Kelly Says

Minerals named after people are essentially geological immortality—clarkeite ensures Clarke's name persists in every geology textbook and rock collection. There are thousands of such eponymous minerals, a tradition dating back to the 1800s.

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