Rutherford discovered alpha particles emitted from uranium in 1899. Alpha particles are high-speed particles composed of two protons and two neutrons, identical to a helium nucleus but without electrons. Rutherford found uranium emitted at least two types of radiation, which he called alpha and beta particles, and determined through experiments shielding the uranium with aluminum sheets of varying thickness that alpha particles are stopped by just a few inches of air due to being a high-energy nuclear particle.