You Can Hardly Find True Blue in Nature, Here’s Why

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Have you ever wondered why the color blue is so rare in nature? From the deep sea to the vast sky, when it shows up, it’s absolutely breathtaking.

In this adventure into nature’s blues, we’re not just talking about pretty colors. But, instead a world where butterflies trick the eye, birds shine without a single blue pigment, and even our eyes play a part in this color mystery.

Butterflies: Nature’s Colorful Messengers

Butterflies, often seen as delicate creatures, are at the forefront of this colorful mystery. Robert Robbins, curator of Lepidoptera at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C., sheds light on their significance.

The Blue Illusion

The Blue Morpho butterfly’s wings exhibit a stunning blue color, not from pigments, but through a phenomenon known as structural coloration. The intricate nanostructures on its wings, resembling tiny Christmas trees, achieve this effect.

Beyond Butterflies

This structural coloration isn’t limited to butterflies. From the iridescent plumage of peacocks to the subtle hues of blue jay feathers and even to the blue of human eyes, nature uses this technique extensively.

Why Blue?

Blue’s rarity in nature is a curious phenomenon. While abundant in the sky and sea, true blue pigments are almost non-existent in the natural world. This scarcity is due to the complex requirements for producing blue.

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