Iridium is the world's rarest metal mostly found in Ethiopia. It was also discovered to absorb gamma rays in 1961. Sunglasses containing small amount of Iridium is selling for big bucks on ebay.

If this metal is so good at absorbing harmful sun rays I wonder why it isn't used more on a wider scale. I'm sure Iridium will definitely be needed in 2012 when the solar maxium comes around.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6ssbauer_effect



Mössbauer was able to observe resonance in solid iridium, which raised the question of why gamma-ray resonance was possible in solids, but not in gases. Mössbauer proposed that, for the case of atoms bound into a solid, under certain circumstances a fraction of the nuclear events could occur essentially without recoil. He attributed the observed resonance to this recoil-free fraction of nuclear events.

The Mössbauer effect was one of the last major discoveries in physics to be originally reported in German language. The first report in English language was a letter describing a repetition of the experiment.[1]

The discovery was rewarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1961 together with Robert Hofstadter's research of electron scattering in atomic nuclei.

Seen em all heard em all.
there is always a new trick to scare our little miserable planet.
climate change,mayan calendar,meteorite,weapon of mass destruction,bird flu,harmaggedon anx the list goes on.
the less tv reports i get,the happier i feel.

If you have some old copper coins pre 1961 they may contain Iridium in it and could be worth a lot of money.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/30/stories/2006073022940500.htm

Copper iridium coin was manufactured by the East India Company





VISAKHAPATNAM: The city police on Saturdayfoiled an attempt to sell a copper iridium coin dating back to 1616 and arrested three international smugglers from Mumbai, a gemologist from Mysore and two from Orissa from whom it was seized.

Commissioner of Police V.S.K. Kaumudi told The Hindu that the coin was expected to have an antique value of about Rs. 850 crores. Tawa, a Tibetan expert from Mysore representing a UK-based company, Sigma International Evaluation Company, was flown in by the Mumbai party for inspection of the coin at the behest of the prospective buyers. He told the police that "the coin seems to be genuine."


http://www.finishing.com/98/68.shtml

Dear sir,
I am a businessman, I want to know about the iridium copper. I came to know about this metal, through one of my friends which he says it is very very costliest and very rare metal found in copper made coins and metal products in older days. If it is true can you kindly inform me the complete history of this metal and the way of collecting this metal and the market value and how to find out this iridium?
I know for long days some business people are collecting antiques(metal products), not for their own purposes but for the business motive. I will be thankful to you if you kindly keep in touch with me until my satisfactions.
Thanking you,

Another interesting tidbit. It seems that Iridium may be one of three "space metals". Ikkidium and Virenium are the other two.

http://ricepullingcoperiridium..com/2011/07/facts-about-1616-copper-iridium-coin.html

Facts about the 1616 Copper Iridium Coin
In 1603 AD, East India Company was formed in India, with establishments in various places, with head office in England. The company started minting coins to do business according to its new system.

In the year 1616 AD, there was a Grahakutami (A complete solar eclipse) which lasted for more than 5 hours in India. The Britishers, with the help of Indian Rishis minted Copper coins with Copper Iridium metal in assorted weights and sizes. The coins were hand made.

Only 16 pieces of the coins were made totally. In order to preserve the precious lebbos, the Rishis engraved the currency denomination prevalent on one side and the nine planets on the other side. Iridium Lebbo coins are also called Navagraha Lebbos. Lebbo in Greek means sun guard. The coins have the provision to be charged when required. The special range of powers of the coins can be activated by charging the coin on the three pin points, each having different functions. After charging the coin with MRC 87 chemicals, a magnetic attraction of carbohydrate contents is generated on the coin.

Sun (Surya), Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangla), Mercury (Budha), Neptune (Guru), Jupiter (Sugra), Saturn (Sani), Uranus (Ragu) and Venus (Kethu) are the planets engraved on the coin and are interconnected with tiny veins, all leading to the charging point.

It is said that, millions of years ago, fragments of sun and other planets might have fallen on earth, particularly in South India sub continent. It is also said that the gurus had gone to all the planets to collect the metal from each planet. The material from other planets that reached earth thus is used to imprint the corresponding planet on the coin.

Our ancestors made the metal classification ‘space metals’. Metallurgists have discovered and included three metals under this group, Ikkidium, Iridium and Virenium. These metals were heavily priced in the 16th century and Rishis hand made the lebbo coins using the Iridium.

In 1616 The British East India Company had presented one 200 gram Iridium Lebbo coin to King Leo of Hong Kong. Later in 1871, it was auctioned for 200 Billion dollars in the U.S.A. International exhibition.

asmith1617:

Another interesting tidbit.  It seems that Iridium may be one of three "space metals".  Ikkidium and Virenium are the other two.

http://ricepullingcoperiridium..com/2011/07/facts-about-1616-copper-iridium-coin.html

Facts about the 1616 Copper Iridium Coin
In 1603 AD, East India Company was formed in India, with establishments in various places, with head office in England. The company started minting coins to do business according to its new system.

In the year 1616 AD, there was a Grahakutami (A complete solar eclipse) which lasted for more than 5 hours in India. The Britishers, with the help of Indian Rishis minted Copper coins with Copper Iridium metal in assorted weights and sizes. The coins were hand made.

Only 16 pieces of the coins were made totally. In order to preserve the precious lebbos, the Rishis engraved the currency denomination prevalent on one side and the nine planets on the other side. Iridium Lebbo coins are also called Navagraha Lebbos. Lebbo in Greek means sun guard. The coins have the provision to be charged when required. The special range of powers of the coins can be activated by charging the coin on the three pin points, each having different functions. After charging the coin with MRC 87 chemicals, a magnetic attraction of carbohydrate contents is generated on the coin.

Sun (Surya), Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangla), Mercury (Budha), Neptune (Guru), Jupiter (Sugra), Saturn (Sani), Uranus (Ragu) and Venus (Kethu) are the planets engraved on the coin and are interconnected with tiny veins, all leading to the charging point.

It is said that, millions of years ago, fragments of sun and other planets might have fallen on earth, particularly in South India sub continent. It is also said that the gurus had gone to all the planets to collect the metal from each planet. The material from other planets that reached earth thus is used to imprint the corresponding planet on the coin.

Our ancestors made the metal classification ‘space metals’. Metallurgists have discovered and included three metals under this group, Ikkidium, Iridium and Virenium. These metals were heavily priced in the 16th century and Rishis hand made the lebbo coins using the Iridium.

In 1616 The British East India Company had presented one 200 gram Iridium Lebbo coin to King Leo of Hong Kong. Later in 1871, it was auctioned for 200 Billion dollars in the U.S.A. International exhibition.

Interesting! atomic number= 77; atomic mass=192.217; melting point=2410.0 °C ; 4527.0 °C; Density @ 293Kelvin =22.5 g/cm3

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The study into this metal is important because of its presence elsewhere and NOT because we need to defend ourselves against the SUN; we know those that we need to defend ourselves from and the SUN is definately NOT one of them.

What is the interest in solar energy like; shoudnt this be a priority?

Mmm