Nobelium is a synthetic element with the symbol No and atomic number 102. It was first discovered in 1958 by a team of scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. Nobelium is part of the actinide series and is classified as a heavy metal. It is highly radioactive and has no stable isotopes, with the most stable isotope being Nobelium-259, which has a half-life of about 58 minutes. Due to its radioactivity, Nobelium is not found in nature and must be produced in a laboratory setting. It is primarily used for research purposes, particularly in the study of heavy elements and their properties. The element is named in honor of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prizes.