physics in conjunction with Sir Norman Lockyer led to the view that at least the external layers of the sun cannot consist of matter in the liquid or solid forms, but must be composed of gases or vapours. Frankland and Lockyer were also the discoverers of helium, along with Pierre Jules César Janssen. In 1868, they noticed, in the solar spectrum, a bright yellow line which did not correspond to any substance then known. It was this line which they attributed to the then hypothetical element, helium. This was the first time an element was discovered on an extraterrestrial world before being found on the earth. Lectures Frankland gave a variety of lectures at the Royal Institution. In 1862, 1864, and 1866, Frankland was invited to deliver the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, speaking on the topics Air and Water; The Chemistry of a Coal and The Chemistry of Gases respectively. Awards and honours Fellow of the Royal Society, 1853 Royal Medal, 1857, for Researches on the isolation of the radicals of organic compounds. Copley Medal, 1894 Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, 1897 Blue plaque, from the Royal Society of Chemistry, at Quay Street, Manchester National Chemical Landmark Blue plaque from the Royal Society of Chemistry, at Lancaster Royal Grammar School, 2015 Citation for Chemical Breakthrough Award from the Division of History of Chemistry of the American Chemical Society, for Frankland's 1852 publication on the discovery of the theory of valence, awarded to the University of Manchester, 2015 Blue plaque from English Heritage, at 14 Lancaster Gate, Bayswater, London in June 2019 Bibliography (collected papers to 1877) Ueber die Isolirung des Aethyls. Inaugural-Dissertation, welche mit Genehmigung der philosophischen Facultät zu Marburg zur Erlangung der Doctorwürde einreicht Edward Frankland aus Lancaster. Marburg, 1849. Druck von George Westermann in Braunschweig. [45 pages]. References External links , Audio program and transcript about Frankland Frankland Papers Collection, University of Manchester Library. 1825 births 1899 deaths British chemists Alumni of the Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital Academics of the Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital People educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School Academics of Imperial College London University of Marburg alumni Fellows of the Royal Society Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath People from Lancaster, Lancashire Recipients of the Copley Medal Royal Medal winners Edward Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society Members of the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala