Neon was discovered (1898) by the British chemists Sir William Ramsay (Ramsay, Sir William) and Morris W. Travers as a component of the most volatile fraction of liquefied crude argon obtained from air. It was immediately recognized as a new element by its unique glow when electrically stimulated. Its only commercial source is the atmosphere, in which it is 18 parts per million by volume. Because its boiling point is −246 °C (−411 °F), neon remains, along with helium and hydrogen, in the small fraction of air that resists liquefaction upon cooling to −195.8 °C (−320.4 °F, the boiling point of liquid nitrogen). Neon is isolated from this cold, gaseous mixture by bringing it into contact with activated charcoal, which adsorbs the neon and hydrogen; removal of hydrogen is effected by adding enough oxygen to convert it all to water, which, along with any surplus oxygen, condenses upon cooling. Processing 88,000 pounds of liquid air will produce one pound of neon.

No stable chemical compounds of neon have been observed. Molecules (molecule) of the element consist of single atoms (atom). Natural neon is a mixture of three stable isotopes (isotope): neon-20 (90.92 percent); neon-21 (0.26 percent); and neon-22 (8.82 percent). Neon was the first element shown to consist of more than one stable isotope. In 1913, application of the technique of mass spectrometry revealed the existence of neon-20 and neon-22. The third stable isotope, neon-21 was detected later. Twelve radioactive isotopes (radioactive isotope) of neon also have been identified.