Tellurium

rare element · metalloid · space chemistry

Super rare on Earth. Tellurium is as scarce in Earth's crust as platinum, making it one of the rarest elements we can find. It's so uncommon that people rarely see it in its pure form.

Common in space. Even though tellurium is incredibly hard to find on our planet, it's much more abundant in the universe overall. Scientists think this happened because tellurium escaped into space as a gas when Earth was still forming.

Silvery-white metalloid. Tellurium is a brittle element that looks like shiny metal but has some properties of non-metals. It's related to selenium and sulfur, which are all part of a chemical family called chalcogens.

Sometimes forms crystals. Every once in a while, tellurium is discovered in its native form as beautiful elemental crystals hidden in rock. This makes finding pure tellurium exciting for mineral collectors and scientists.

Mildly toxic. Tellurium is poisonous in small amounts, so scientists have to handle it carefully and safely in laboratories.