A noble gas element with symbol Xe, colorless and odorless, used in specialized lighting and medical applications. One of the rarest elements in Earth's atmosphere.
From Greek 'xenon' meaning 'stranger' or 'foreign,' named by Scottish chemist William Ramsay in 1898 because it was an unknown, 'strange' gas that remained after removing all other known gases from liquid air. The name reflects its elusive and foreign nature.
Xenon is so rare that it costs about $5,000 per kilogram - more expensive than silver! Despite its rarity, xenon headlights in luxury cars produce that distinctive bright white light, and xenon anesthesia is being researched because it might protect the brain during surgery better than other anesthetics.
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