Discovered : by Sir William Ramsay and M.W. Travers in 1898 Isolated in London Origin : The name is derived from the Greek ‘xenos’, meaning strange. Description : A colourless, odourless gas that makes up 0.086 parts per million of the atmosphere. About half a tonne a year is produced from liquid air and used for research purposes. Image : Electro flash - (Xenon also used in specialised light sources).