Neon 's the chemical element that's the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it's rare on Earth. A colourless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in discharge tubes and neon lamps. It's commercially extracted from air, in which it's found in trace amounts. History Neon (Greek (neon) meaning "new one") was discovered in 1898 by Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay (1852–1916) English che… (More on Neon)