Copernicium is now officialy the newest and heaviest element in the periodic table, with an atomic number of 112 (which means that it has 112 protons in its nucleus); it’s also 277 times heavier than hydrogen.
Named after astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, it follows a long tradition of naming elements after famous scientists; some of the latest in this line include Einsteinium (for Albert Einstein), Fermium (for nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi), and Curium (after Marie Curie and her husband Pierre).
NOTE: Today we implement what we’ve called ‘shorties’ – just short news, without going into any details, but definitely interesting and worth noting. Any feedback is well appreciated