Americium is the seventh member of the actinides located on the second row below the periodic table. It is a silvery-white, radioactive metal with a melting point of 1176 degrees Celsius. It was discovered in 1944 by Glenn T. Seaborg and his team. It is a highly radioactive metal that quickly forms oxides on exposure to air. Americium 247 has a half-life of 7370 years. Americium is a man-made element. However, it used to be formed in the natural nuclear reactor beneath Gabon, but it has long since ceased to exist. 

Americium is sometimes used a a radiation source in smoke detectors. It is produced as a byproduct of nuclear power plants.