Discover the Glow: Top 22 Fun Facts About Neon You Never Knew!

1. Neon's Discovery and Dive Bar Origins

Neon signs, the life of the (light) party and mood setter for many a dive bar since time immemorial (or so it seems), have a genesis story worthy of a dimly lit corner booth too: Neon was discovered in 1898 by William Ramsay and Morris Travers during their search for a gas that filled the void between helium and argon on the periodic table.
Source => konnecthq.com

2. Claude's Creation: Neon Signs

When it's time to "light up the night" in a cityscape masterpiece, neon signs sweep in like the shining knights of visual advertising: These glimmering brainchildren of Georges Claude, who created the first neon sign in 1910, owe their vibrant red-orange glow to electrically charged neon gas, casting their irresistible spell on businesses and landmarks globally.
Source => education.jlab.org

Did you know helium is the life of the solar party? It makes up a whopping 27.1% of the Sun's mass and keeps it shining bright! Discover more helium fun facts here.

=> Fun Facts about Helium

3. Neon Signs: Colorful Gas Masquerade

Feeling blue or seeing red in the world of neon signs isn't a mood swing, but a gas-spectacular masquerade: by using different gases like argon for a cool blue or neon for that classic red-orange glow, and even tinting the glass tubing, these luminous wonders bring dazzling technicolor variety to our nightscape.
Source => rosekennedygreenway.org

4. Neon: The Universe's Wallflower

Neon might be the wallflower at the Universal Ball, tip-toeing around with its glowing presence, but never claiming the spotlight: This unassuming guest accounts for a mere 0.012% of all the atoms in the universe, yet shines on Earth as the star of neon lights, plasma screens, and laser technologies.
Source => sciencenotes.org

5. Neon's Dance Floor Debut

Neon could easily steal the show on Dancing with the Stars, lighting up the dance floor with its irresistible reddish-orange moves, cha-cha-cha-ing its way out of Earth like there's no tomorrow: This noble gas is actually the second lightest of its kind, notably elusive on our planet but is over 40 times more refrigerating than liquid helium, and gets its stage name from the Greek word "neos," which translates to "new", forever capturing mankind's fascination since its discovery in 1898.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. A Snowman's Handshake with Elsa: Liquid Neon

Neon's not just for lighting up your favorite bar; it's also got a chill side, colder than a snowman's handshake with Elsa from Frozen: Liquid neon is used in cryogenics to reach a bone-chilling -269°C (-452°F) and serves as a frosty refrigerant for specialized gas lasers.
Source => angelo.edu

7. Mysterious Party Guest: Neon's Low Points

If neon were a person, it'd be that mysterious and elusive character who shows up at parties just in time to light up the night, then vanish like a cool breeze: In scientific terms, neon holds the records for both the lowest boiling point (-248.7°C) and melting point (-248°C) among all noble gases, making it the ultimate superstar of gas discharge lamps, including those flashy neon lights that adorn signs and advertisements!
Source => nuclear-power.com

8. Neon: Cosmic Birth and Earthly Gossip

Neon may not grow on trees or manifest through the alchemy of a mad scientist's potion, but fear not, neon enthusiasts, for the universe has our backs in fluorescent spades! The hilarious prelude: neon is not only fashioning celestial parades in outer space as stars churn out bountiful amounts of this gas through nuclear fusion reactions, but it also silently awaits us right here on Earth, hidden in plain sight, like a shy gossip whispering in the atmosphere. The serious reveal: although neon is not renewable on Earth and is extracted via cryogenic distillation of air, the cosmos ensures that our vibrant, luminous friend is in no danger of becoming scarce.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Vegas Vacation: The Neon Museum

Whoever said "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" clearly forgot about the signs: The Neon Museum, established in 1996, is a non-profit dedicated to preserving and showcasing Las Vegas' historic and culturally significant signs, with hours of operation varying based on the season and advance ticket purchases recommended to avoid FOMO.
Source => neonmuseum.org

10. Earth's Rarity, Neon's Dating Profile

If neon had a dating profile, its bio would say "bright and colorful, but a total rarity on Earth!": Though it's the universe's fifth most abundant element, neon comprises a minuscule 0.0018% of our planet's atmosphere, finding fame instead in the vibrant advertising signs and lighting that adorn our cities.
Source => angelo.edu

11. Neon, the Flashy Cousin of Argon

Behold neon, the unsung hero of nightlife and the flashy cousin of Argon, painting the town red - quite literally, in glowing signs and beacons! Basking in the limelight of its reddish-orange radiance: Neon is widely used in lighting, gas lasers, and plasma displays, making it one of the two noble gases in the limelight, alongside Argon.
Source => byjus.com

12. Neon Signs: 15-Year Long Skincare Regimen

Neon signs, those dazzling divas of the advertising world, have the lifespan of a small dog with a solid skincare regimen: they can last up to 15 years, with longevity hinging on factors like transformer condition, color coating and gas shelf life, and a little TLC in the form of regular cleaning and maintenance.
Source => neonsign.com

13. Neon's Chilled-Out Party Etiquette

When neon throws a party, it makes sure to turn on all the lights but keeps it cool in the socializing department: Neon has the lowest thermal conductivity of any gas and is among the least reactive elements, making it a key ingredient in gas discharge lamps and illuminating advertising signs.
Source => pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

14. Flu-busting Neon Light Therapy

Next time you're feeling under the weather, skip the chicken soup – go bask in the glow of some neon lights instead! Chock-full of electrolyte-restoring goodness that flu medication companies don't want you to know about: low-level neon laser therapy has actually been used by medical professionals to promote healing and relieve pain.
Source => northamericansigns.com

15. Neon: A Cosmic Atomic Jukebox

In a neon-fueled cosmic game of musical chairs, this noble gas refuses to stick to just one atomic number: the atomic weight of neon swings at a groovy 20.1797(6) in Earth's atmosphere, but puts on a surprise performance by sporting various atomic weights in certain minerals, natural gases, and nuclear reactions – talk about an identity crisis!
Source => ciaaw.org

16. Plasma TVs: Pre-Netflix Neon Age

Before Netflix and chill, there was plasma and glow: Plasma displays in old televisions contain a gas called neon, which, contrary to popular belief, isn't responsible for that groovy light show. Its role is dwarfed by argon and xenon, with the glow discharge in plasma cells occurring due to the applied electric fields and their interaction with these noble gases.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

17. Aquaneon: 80s Neon Makeup Revolution

Behold the Age of Aquaneon! As the fashion world went 50 shades of fluorescent, people of the 80s took the phrase "wearing one's heart on one's sleeve" to another dimension by wearing neon eyeshadows and lipsticks on their faces: Madonna and Cyndi Lauper lit the path as Covergirl, Maybelline, and Revlon stoked the fires, and today, the neon hue crusade continues across generations, with colorfully painted faces just a click away online or a stroll down a store aisle.
Source => aboutthe80s.com

18. Neon Signs: More Than Window Dressing

If neon signs were a party, they'd be an obnoxious guest, showing up with their flashy attire and stealing the limelight, making the other elements in the room fluoresce with envy: Surprisingly, these ostentatious symbols of nightlife are more than just window dressing, serving practical purposes such as high voltage warnings and digital screen backlighting, all thanks to neon gas's signature glow when electrified.
Source => jantecneon.com

19. Neon: Earth's Atmospheric Wallflower

When neon isn't out painting the town red (or green or blue) with its mesmerizing glow: it's inconspicuously hiding amongst other trace gases in Earth's atmosphere, making up about 20 parts per million by volume and hanging out with the likes of methane, carbon dioxide, and ozone.
Source => ccpo.odu.edu

20. A Noble Gas Color Party: Neon's Cousins

Neon lights may be guilty of painting the town red, but other noble gases prefer to make the streets pop with a little blue, green, or even pink: When noble gases like helium, krypton, and argon get all excited, they release photons to produce a vibrant multitude of colors, while modern lights, not wanting to be left in the dark ages, use a fluorescent cocktail of mercury/argon and phosphor coatings to illuminate our world with even more chromatic radiance!
Source => thoughtco.com

21. Neon Signs: Orange Usurping Blue

Much to the delight of barbershop quartets everywhere, it turns out neon didn't make the first neon sign-cut: The first neon sign sold in 1912 to a Paris barbershop actually used nitrogen or CO2 before neon usurped them with its vibrant, bustling orange-red glow. Today, neon signs continue to make our retinas dance, jazz-hands style, in the business of small signage and retro decor.
Source => aps.org

22. Neon in the Stars and Moon Rocks

Who knew neon had aspirations beyond the Vegas Strip? This star-struck little gas dreamed of brighter days and soared through the cosmos to join our very own solar system: Turns out, neon is a component of the solar wind and can be found in moon rock samples, helping scientists further understand the intricate processes taking place on the moon's surface and within our Sun.
Source => rsc.org