A new chemical element has been officially recognised by the world’s ruling chemists. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has asked discoverer Sigurd Hofmann to pick a name for ‘Element 112’.

Hofmann’s team smashed zinc atoms into a lead target with the help of a particle accelerator to create their new element, which has an atomic number of 112, meaning each atom has 112 protons in its nucleus.

At the moment the element has been given the temporary name ‘ununbium’, derived from the Latin for one-one-two (BBC, Daily Mail).

“During the next few weeks, the scientists of the discovering team will deliberate on a name for the new element,” says Hofmann, of the GSI Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany (press release).

Previous GSI experiments have given us Bohrium, Hassium, Meitnerium, Darmstadtium, and Roentgenium. All rather serious names those; maybe it’s time to lighten things up by calling this one MegaHugeElementium or GreatBigium.

Image: the element team / A. Zschau, GSI