Nihonium, represented by the symbol Nh, is a synthetic element with an atomic number of 113. It was first created in 2004 by a team of researchers at the Riken institute in Japan, who used a particle accelerator to collide zinc atoms with bismuth atoms. The resulting fusion reaction produced just four atoms of nihonium.

Nihonium belongs to a group of elements known as the “superheavy” elements, which have atomic numbers greater than 104. These elements are not found in nature and are instead created in a laboratory by smashing together nuclei of lighter elements. Nihonium is a highly unstable element with a very short half-life; all of its isotopes decay very quickly, and it has no practical applications outside of scientific research.

Nihonium is notable for being the first element to be discovered and named by researchers in Asia. Its name comes from the Japanese word “nihon,” which means “Japan.”