The city of Atlanta, Georgia, in Fulton County, was an important rail and commercial center during the American Civil War. Although relatively small in population, the city became a critical point of contention during the Atlanta Campaign in 1864 when a powerful Union army approached from Union-held Tennessee.
Rare-earth compounds containing lanthanum are extensively used in carbon lighting applications, especially by the motion picture industry for studio lighting and projection.
Lanthanum is used in hydrogen sponge alloys, which take up to 400 times their own volume of hydrogen gas. Lanthanum is also used to make night vision goggles (infrared-absorbing glass).High quality camera and telescope lenses contain lanthanum oxide (La 2 O 3) making use of its high refractive index and low dispersion.anthanum is also used to make night vision goggles (infrared-absorbing glass). High quality camera and telescope lenses contain lanthanum oxide (La 2 O 3) making use of its high refractive index and low dispersion.