becquerelite

{{infobox mineral | name = Becquerelite | image = Becquerelite-Uranophane-Uraninite-201144.jpg | alt = | caption = Spray of becquerelite crystals with uranophane needles from the old Shinkolobwe mine | category = Oxide mineral | formula = Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O) |IMAsymbol=Bqr | molweight = | strunz = 4.GB.10 | dana = | system = Orthorhombic | class = Pyramidal (mm2) H-M symbol: (mm2) | symmetry = Pn21a | unit cell = a = 13.8378 Å, b = 12.3781 Å, c = 14.9238 Å; Z = 4 | color = | colour = Amber-yellow, golden to lemon-yellow, yellow-orange, brownish yellow | habit = Tabular prismatic striated crystals exhibiting pseudohexagonal outline; coatings and fine-grained aggregates | twinning = | cleavage = Perfect on {001}; imperfect on {101}, {010} and {110} | fracture = | tenacity = Brittle | mohs = 2.5 | lustre = Adamantine to greasy | streak = Yellow | diaphaneity = Transparent | gravity = 5.09–5.2 | density = | polish = | opticalprop = Biaxial (−) | refractive = nα = 1.725 – 1.735 nβ = 1.815 – 1.825 nγ = 1.825 – 1.830 | birefringence = δ = 0.100 | pleochroism = X = colourless to pale yellow, Y = Z = yellow to deep yellow | 2V = Measured: 32° | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence = | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | impurities = Commonly contains lead | alteration = | other = 25px Radioactive | references = }} Becquerelite is a uranium mineral with the chemical formula: Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O). It is a secondary mineral which contains calcium and is a bright yellow colour. It has a Mohs hardness of about 2.

It was named after the French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel (1852–1908), who discovered radioactivity in 1896. Becquerelite contains about 70% uranium by weight.