The periodic table is set to get a new addition - say hello to the superheavy element ununseptium

Scientists confirm that the super-heavy element 117 DOES exist

• International team of scientists has confirmed a new superheavy element
• Discovery was made back in 2010 but required independent verification
• The so-called element 117 is the heaviest element yet to be found
• However it is so unstable that scientists caught only a glimpse of it
• Its discovery takes scientists one step closer to the 'island of stability'
• This is a theorised group of elements that will be incredibly stable 

The heaviest element yet found is one step closer to joining the periodic table.

That’s thanks to an international team of scientists at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany.

They followed up research in 2010 by US and Russian scientists to confirm the so-called element 117, and in so doing they have taken physicists closer to the ‘holy grail’ of modern atomic physics.

Although element 117 was first spotted four years ago, its discovery could not be confirmed until it had been independently verified, which has now been done.

The next step is for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) to accept the confirmation.

The element currently has a temporary name of ununseptium, which translates as one (un) one (un) seven (sept) or 117, its atomic number.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2620508/New-element-set-join-periodic-table-Scientists-confirm-super-heavy-element-177-DOES-exist.html#ixzz30sMWzMpw