Solid nitrogen

What Is Solid Nitrogen?

Solid nitrogen is a special, very cold form of the gas we breathe every day. It looks like frost or ice but is made from nitrogen. Scientists first found it in 1884, and now they study it in labs and in space.

Where Do We Find It?

Solid nitrogen lives far from Earth, in very cold places. We can see it on Pluto, a tiny world beyond Neptune. The space probe New Horizons took pictures of it there. It also exists on Triton, a big moon of Neptune, seen by the Voyager 2 probe.

Fun Facts

• Solid nitrogen is super cold and can turn into a gas or frost easily.
• Scientists make it in labs by freezing liquid nitrogen.
• It looks different depending on how cold and squished it is.

Solid nitrogen helps us learn about cold places in our solar system. It shows us how materials behave when they are very, very cold!