Is there a chance we could discover new elements in space?

Question

Beyond what we know about here on earth? I was reading about this massive meteor they found near my house along time ago:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willamette_Meteorite

and it contains minerals etc. we are already familiar with. In this great big galaxy (millions of solar systems) and this great big universe (infinite galaxies?) there must be something else out there!

Answer 1

You don't really understand how atoms are made, do you? Atoms have a certain whole number of protons in their nuclei, i.e. one for hydrogen, two for helium, three for lithium, etc. All of the naturally occurring elements, from number one to number 92, are known, as are a few manmade ones. You can't have an atom with a fractional number of protons in the nucleus, like, say, 14 and a half protons, so that means that all of the elements we know of are all that there are. We won't find new ones out in space, because no others can possibly exist, except perhaps some with higher atomic numbers than 111, and those would only exist by artificial means

Answer 2

I asked a similar question recently and it would seem unlikely. My question was about what I percieved to be holes in the periodic table of elements. Were they missing elements and so on...

But the way it was explained to me, there are logical reasons why there are holes in it and the don't expect to ever 'discover' elements to fill those holes.

You might wonder if there will ever be found elements of a higher atomic weight that any we have known before but its believed that these if they were to exist would only last a short while and become unstable. In fact, that has something to do with why some elements are radio active.  

Answer 3

Of course, we are foolish to think we know it all...

Answer 4

Yup... thats very possible.

the earth was initially a space rock (so it is now!), with some elements. elements are given out at a large scale when a massive star explodes into a supernova. depending on the mass of the stars, the ejected materials are broadly classified into two classes - heavier than iron (Fe) or lighter than iron. (i am still tryin' to find out - why iron). so every element you see in front of your eyes, they are ejections of a supernova! so there is very high probabitliy that thousand or more elements may exist! we are just yet to find out.

so, next time you see a gold or silver peice, remember - it was made in a supernova!

Answer 5

New elements are unlikely, but new isotopes aren't out of the question. Strange molecules are very, very probable.

Answer 6

we've arleady found new elements in the last few years... can't remember what...

Answer 7

We have, on Earth, every element that exists anywhere in the universe. There are only some 110 or so elements - PERIOD. There are no surprises to be found in terms of new elementals or metals.

We continue to develop new alloys and other heterogeneous concoctions such as composites. There will be more nice stuff that will come along but it will just be new arrangements of the same old elements.

In fact, we have created elements that don't exist anywhere else in the universe - unless JUST created.  The reason is that some elements we have created have very, very short half lives.  Element 103 (Lawrencium-262) is the most stable isotopes of Lawrencium at just 3.6 hours.  

There currently are no “holes” in the periodic table.  Certainly there once was.  When the table was first proposed the power of the table was its ability to predict the existence and properties of, as yet, unknown elements.  All have long ago been found or been created.  In fact there have been new  isotopes created of all the elements.

The Chart of the Nuclides is a wonderful visual look at the universe and what is possible in terms of elements.  

Answer 8

Think of it more like a bunch of blocks that will only go to gather in a pattern. Regardless how U move them around , Mother nature has already tried every configuration that U could imagine.  

Answer 9

new elements in space is an interesting possibleility. I don't think the table of elements has been completed so some elements could be somewhere out there.  

Answer 10

Considering that the human knowledge is extremely limited, I have to say yes.

Answer 11

There is every chance we will discover new elements that we haven't yet synthesized. There is an "island of stability" predicted for the number of nucleons which would enable higher density elements to be formed without decaying:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_s...

Of particular hope is an element affectionately named Unbihexium which is "doubly magic" since it would have a full proton and neutron shell in the nucleus and might perhaps be extremely stable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbihexium

Answer 12

Elements are defined by the number of protons in the nucleus. There are no missing numbers between 1 (hydrogen) and 92 (uranium), and we can make varying amounts of the higher numbers up to about 118. These don't exist in the wild because they are unstable and quickly decay. All these and probably more are created in supernova explosions. Theory says there could be a group of stable elements with much heavier nuclei, so maybe some day we'll run into some of those.

As far as minerals go, they form by predictable chemical reactions, so the same common minerals should be found throughout the universe. On the other hand, each environment produces subtly different blends and structures, so that specimens from mars, the moon, or the asteroids can be distinguished from earthly rocks.

There are also forms of atoms found in space that don't exist on Earth. The oxygen ions that give planetary nebulae their characteristic color were originally thought to be a new element, nebulium. It was later determined that it's just an ion that only forms under certain conditions found in deep space.

Answer 13

nopes.

the table we have now is consistent with the fisical and chemical laws, and they're complete, from element 1 to element 92

we can find new isotopes, but not new elements

Answer 14

   We have a compete catalog of elements in the periodic scale no new elements will be found.

Answer 15

Highly improbable.  Heavy elements, especially those above Uranium, tend to be unstable, and the higher you go up, the more unstable they get, and the shorter they last until they break down unto lighter elements.  as we get towards the 100's and 110's on the periodic chart, we're talking milliseconds or even microseconds of half-life.

The heaviest of known elements break down so fast, we don't even know what physical color they are, or if they are a solid, liquid, or gas.