1799-1868

German geochemist who discovered ozone in 1839. Ozone is formed in the presence of electrical current and can sometimes be smelled after an electrical short circuit or a nearby lightning strike. It is also formed by reactions using ultraviolet light in the upper atmosphere, where it helps to protect the earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet light. However, at the time Schonbein discovered ozone, it was regarded as only a laboratory curiosity.