Tag Archives: butterfly

Gemini South Telescope Shines Light on the Butterfly Nebula

Posted on by
Reply

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the International Gemini Observatory’s completion, students in Chile chose the Gemini South Telescope to capture an image of NGC 6302, also known as the Bug Nebula or Butterfly Nebula (Caldwell 69).

This image captured by the Gemini South Telescope showcases the planetary nebula NGC 6302. Image credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / J. Miller & M. Rodriguez, International Gemini Observatory & NSF’s NOIRLab / TA Rector, University of Alaska Anchorage & NSF’s NOIRLab / M. Zamani, NSF’s NOIRLab.

NGC 6302 is a planetary nebula situated 2,417 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.

“Planetary nebulae are a type of emission nebula formed by a massive star at the end of its lifecycle, shedding material and surrounded by an expanding, glowing shell of ionized gas,” stated astronomers at the International Gemini Observatory.

“These intriguing structures usually have a circular, planet-like appearance, which is how they earned the name ‘planetary nebulae’ from early astronomers who observed them through telescopes.”

While various dates are associated with the discovery of NGC 6302, a 1907 study by American astronomer Edward E. Barnard is commonly credited, though it could have been discovered earlier in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.

This nebula is characterized by an extremely complex dipolar morphology, highly excited gases, elevated molecular weight, and the presence of crystalline silicate dust.

Its butterfly shape extends over two light-years, roughly half the distance from the Sun to Proxima Centauri.

“In recent images obtained from the Gemini South Telescope, the glowing ‘wings’ of the Butterfly Nebula appear to emerge from the interstellar medium,” the astronomers explained.

“This visually stunning object was chosen by Chilean students for the 8.1-meter telescope as part of the Gemini First Light Anniversary Image Contest.”

“This competition engaged students at the Gemini telescope site, honoring the legacy established by the International Gemini Observatory since its first light in November 2000.”

In 2009, astronomers utilized the Wide Field Camera 3 on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to identify the central star of NGC 6302 as a white dwarf. This star shed its outer layers over 2,000 years ago and now possesses about two-thirds the mass of the Sun.

It ranks as one of the hottest known stars, with a surface temperature exceeding 250,000 degrees Celsius (450,000 degrees Fahrenheit), indicating it must have formed from a substantially large star.

Further investigation of NGC 6302 uncovers a dramatic formation history.

Before its transformation into a white dwarf, the star was a red giant approximately 1,000 times the diameter of the Sun.

This massive star expelled its outer gas layer, moving outward from the equator at a relatively slow rate, forming a dark donut-shaped band still observable around the star.

Other gases were expelled perpendicular to this band, restricting outflow and creating the bipolar structure visible today.

As the star evolved, it released strong stellar winds that pierced its “wings” at speeds exceeding 3 million kilometers per hour (1.8 million miles per hour).

This combination of slow and fast-moving gases further sculpted the “wings,” revealing a vast terrain of cloudy ridges and pillars.

Now, as a white dwarf, the star emits intense radiation that elevates the temperature of NGC 6302’s “wings” to over 20,000 degrees Celsius (approximately 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit), causing the gas to glow.

“Dark red areas in the image represent regions of energized hydrogen gas, while deep blue spots indicate regions of energized oxygen gas,” the researchers mentioned.

“These materials, alongside other elements like nitrogen, sulfur, and iron discovered in NGC 6302, are critical for forming the next generation of stars and planets.”

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists Find the Atlas Blue Butterfly Has 229 Chromosome Pairs

Posted on by
Reply

Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Spanish Institute of Biology have mapped the female genome of the Atlas Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus atlantica), revealing 227 pairs of autosomes and four sex chromosomes, marking it as the organism with the highest chromosome count among all multicellular animals globally.

Atlas Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus atlantica). Image credit: Roger Villa.

The Atlas Blue Butterfly is native to the mountainous regions of Morocco and Northeast Algeria.

Previously suspected to have the highest chromosome count in the Animal Kingdom, this is the first instance where scientists have successfully sequenced the butterfly’s genome to confirm this assumption.

In comparison, the more commonly observed Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) has only 24 chromosomes.

Variations in chromosome numbers are believed to facilitate the formation of new species and assist in adaptation to changing environments.

The Atlas Blue Butterfly belongs to a group of closely related species that have evolved rapidly over a short geological timeframe.

“The genome is crucial for understanding how organisms develop and what the future may hold,” stated Professor Mark Blaxter from the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

“To narrate the stories of our planet, we must explore various tales and observe their interactions.”

“Insights gained from one genome can also enrich our understanding of others.”

“For instance, chromosomal rearrangements are also present in human cancer cells, and investigating these patterns in the Atlas Blue Butterfly could lead to methods for mitigating cancer cell growth in the future.”

In their research, Professor Blaxter and his team discovered that chromosomal structure was altered due to less tightly packed DNA.

This indicates that while the amount of genetic information remained similar, it was organized into smaller segments.

Except for the sex chromosomes, all chromosomes were found to be fragmented, leading researchers to estimate a dynamic range of 24 to 229 chromosomes emerging over approximately 3 million years, a brief period in evolutionary terms.

Generally, such drastic chromosomal modifications are considered detrimental; however, the Atlas Blue Butterfly has thrived for millions of years.

Its population faces threats primarily from climate change and human environmental impact.

This study opens numerous avenues for future exploration.

Chromosomal division is thought to enhance genetic diversity by allowing for increased genomic mixing or possibly offering other unforeseen advantages.

While this may enable butterflies to adapt quickly, possessing numerous chromosomes can also introduce complications, potentially making them more susceptible to extinction in the long run.

Further studies comparing other butterfly species will clarify whether genes are lost or retained, offering greater insights into butterfly biology and evolution.

“Observing chromosomal degradation at this level is uncommon, yet evident in butterflies of other species, hinting at a significant need for exploration in this area,” noted Dr. Roger Villa, a researcher at the Evolutionary Biology Institute in Spain.

“Moreover, chromosomes hold the secrets of species, and examining how these changes influence butterfly behavior could help us form a comprehensive understanding of species emergence.”

“When we embarked on studying butterfly evolution, we realized that sequencing the extraordinary Atlas Blue Butterfly was essential,” remarked Dr. Charlotte Wright from the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

“This research emphasizes the collaborative spirit of scientific inquiry.”

“By examining how the chromosomes of the Atlas Blue Butterfly have split over time in specific environments, we can begin to uncover the potential benefits of this phenomenon, how it influences adaptability, and whether there are lessons in the DNA that could aid our future conservation efforts.”

The findings have been published in this week’s edition of Current Biology.

____

Charlotte J. Wright et al. Chromosomal evolutionary constraints revealed by the 229 chromosome pairs of the Atlas Blue Butterfly. Current Biology, published online on September 10th, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.08.032

Source: www.sci.news

Webb Discovers Dust and Organic Torus in the Butterfly Nebula

Posted on by
Reply

Thanks to the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have made significant progress in understanding the connection between the raw materials of rocky planets. This cosmic material—crystalline silicate dust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—was analyzed in the core of the remarkable bipolar planetary nebula known as the Butterfly Nebula.

Hubble and Webb/Alma images of Butterfly Nebula. Image credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/Webb/Hubble/Alma/Matsuura et al. , doi: 10.1093/mnras/staf1194.

The Butterfly Nebula, also referred to as NGC 6302, is among the most extensively studied planetary nebulae.

This nebula is situated approximately 2,417 light years away from Earth, in the constellation Scorpio.

Its distinctive butterfly shape has expanded over two light years, roughly half the distance from the Sun to Proxima Centauri.

The object exhibits extreme bipolarity, complex morphology, and features very high excitation gases, high molecular weight, and crystalline silicates.

“The planetary nebula is one of the most stunning and elusive phenomena in the cosmic landscape,” stated Mikako, an astronomer from Cardiff University, along with Matsui Ko and her colleague.

“These nebulae form when stars with masses between 0.8 and 8 times that of the Sun shed most of their mass at the end of their lifecycle.”

“The nebula phases on planets are transient, lasting only about 20,000 years.”

“Despite their name, planetary nebulae have no connection to planets. The confusion arose centuries ago, when astronomers noted that these nebulae appeared round, resembling planets.”

“Although many planetary nebulae are not round, their titles often reflect misleading names, and the Butterfly Nebula is a prime illustration of the extraordinary shapes these nebulae can assume.”

“As a bipolar nebula, the Butterfly Nebula has two lobes extending in opposite directions, forming what resembles butterfly ‘wings’,” they continued.

“The dark band of dusty gas acts as the ‘body’ of the butterfly. This band is actually a donut-shaped torus that conceals the central star of the nebula.”

“Dusty donuts may indeed contribute to the insect-like shape of the nebula by hindering gas from escaping outward from the star uniformly.”

New images from Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) offer a close-up view of the center of the Butterfly Nebula and its dusty torus, revealing its complex structure like never before.

Astronomers have detected nearly 200 spectral lines, each providing insights into the nebula’s atoms and molecules.

These lines uncover nested interconnected structures tracked by various species.

Researchers have also pinpointed the central star in the Butterfly Nebula, which heats a previously undetected dust cloud surrounding it, causing it to emit bright light at mid-infrared wavelengths.

The star boasts a temperature of 220,000 Kelvin, making it one of the hottest known central stars in the galaxy’s planetary nebulae.

This image takes viewers diving deep into the heart of the Butterfly Nebula, as seen by Webb. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/WEBB/M. MATSUURA/ALMA/ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/N. HIRANO/M. ZAMANI.

“This incredible, radiant engine is responsible for the stunning brilliance of the nebula, yet its full effect is moderated by the dense band of thin gas, the torus, that surrounds it,” the author noted.

“New data from Webb reveals that the torus comprises crystalline silicates such as quartz and irregularly shaped dust particles.”

“Dust grains measure about one millionth of a meter, typical for space dust.”

“Beyond the torus, emissions from various atoms and molecules form multilayer structures.”

“Ions needing the highest energy to form cluster near the center, while those requiring less energy are positioned farther away from the central star.”

“Iron and nickel are particularly noteworthy, following jets that erupt outward from the star in opposite directions.”

In an intriguing finding, the team also identified light emitted by carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

“These molecules have a flat, ring-like configuration, reminiscent of honeycomb shapes found in beehives,” said the astronomer.

“On Earth, PAHs are often present in smoke from campfires, vehicle exhausts, or burnt toast.”

“Given their location, these PAHs likely form when the winds from the central star push against the surrounding gas.”

“This discovery marks the first evidence of PAH formation in oxygen-rich planetary nebulae, offering a glimpse into the processes behind their formation.”

Survey results were published this week in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

____

Mikako Matsumura et al. 2025. JWST/MIRI view of Planetary Nebula NGC 6302 – I. UV irradiated torus and hot bubbles cause PAH formation. mnras 542(2):1287-1307; doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1194

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists discover a mysterious new butterfly species in North America

Posted on by
Reply

Entomologists describe a new species of the Tiger swallow (genus genus) Papirio) From eastern North America.

Papilio Sorstian: (a) male, holotype and (b) female, arotype. Scale bar – 10 mm. Image credit: Derotler et al. , doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1228.142202.

Papirio It is a large genus of swallowtail butterflies within the family Papillonidae.

The only representative of the Papillionini family, the genus contains about 200 scientifically recognized species.

Newly identified members of the genus Papilio Sorstianbelongs to North America Papilio Glaucus Species group.

” Papilio Glaucus The group is a model research system for insect evolutionary biology. ” Dr. B. Christian Schmidt Arknides, nematodes and colleagues wrote on paper from the Canadian National Insect Collection.

“Recognition and boundaries” Papilio Glaucus and Papilio canadensis Three decades of study in speciation, host plant adaptation, hybridization, and molecular evolution have been conducted as a pair of classical sibling species. ”

“Recently, we have discovered a third species. Papilio appalachiansisprovided unprecedented insights into speciation by hybridization. ”

” Papilio Glaucus The group is primarily part of the clades of the subgenos of the New World clades on a large scale Pterourussometimes recognized as a distinct genus,” they added.

“The various within the group demonstrate adaptation to a variety of thermal niches that are warmly characterized (Papilio Glaucus), intermediate (Papilio appalachiansis), and cool (Papilio canadensis) Climate region; all have a wide larval host plant diet and are not limited by its distribution. ”

Papilio Sorstian It is closely related to these three species, but unlike all of the series of characters.

“The most important differences are evident in developmental biology and biology,” the researchers wrote.

“Papilio Sorstian Compared to May for all other species, it is unique during long delays in appearance after adult escape, starting from late June to early July to late June to early July. ”

Papilio Sorstian'The geographical range is Papilio Glaucus The southern end of Papilio canadensis.

“Core Range Papilio Sorstian It includes eastern and south-central Ontario, northern and central New York, and adjacent Vermont, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.2The scientist wrote in his paper.

“In New York Papilio Sorstian He lives in most of the states except the Southeast and New York City metropolitan areas. ”

“In Canada, Papilio Sorstian It extends westward from Montreal, Quebec, to the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario and south to the Niagara region. ”

“The western limits seem to be on the east coast of Lake Huron. We haven’t seen any verifiable specimens of the west there.”

“Current evidence is consistent with the possibility Papilio Sorstian There is a recombinant evolutionary origin of Papilio appalachiansisThey added.

“However, the evolutionary origin of this kind, Papilio Glaucus-complex, I still can’t answer. ”

“Recognizing and defining the taxonomic identity of this unique evolutionary lineage is our hope to provide a staging point on the fertile grounds for future research.”

paper Published in the journal Zookeys.

____

CJ Derotler et al. 2025. A mysterious new species of the tiger swallow (Capidae, Papillonidae) in eastern North America. Zookeys 1228:69-97; doi:10.3897/zookeys.1228.142202

Source: www.sci.news

Study finds that butterfly and moth genomes have remained remarkably stable over 250 million years of evolution

Posted on by
Reply

This stability exists despite the incredible diversity in wing patterns, sizes, and caterpillar morphology across more than 160,000 species worldwide today, according to one study. new paper It was published in the magazine natural ecology and evolution.

lissandra belargas. Image credit: Eric Silvestre.

Butterflies and moths (in order) Lepidoptera) make up 10% of all described animal species and are extremely important pollinators and herbivores in many ecosystems.

In a new study, Professor Mark Blaxter and colleagues from the Wellcome Sanger Institute set out to understand the processes driving the evolution of chromosomes in this highly diverse group.

They analyzed and compared more than 200 high-quality chromosome-level genomes of butterflies and moths.

They identified 32 ancestral chromosomal components; Merian element Thanks to the work of pioneering 17th century entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, most butterfly and moth species have remained intact since their last common ancestor more than 250 million years ago.

With the exception of a single ancient fusion event between two chromosomes that led to the 31 chromosomes found in most species today, the chromosomes of most modern species correspond directly to these ancestral Merian elements.

Researchers discovered that not only are chromosomes incredibly stable, but the order of genes within them is also stable.

They discovered several species with small changes, mainly involving the fusion of small autosomes and sex chromosomes. This highlights the role of chromosome length as a driver of evolutionary change.

However, scientists believe that the blue butterfly (lissandra) and the group containing cabbage butterflies (Pieris) ignored these genomic structure constraints.

These groups underwent large-scale chromosomal reshuffling, including large-scale chromosome reshuffling through chromosome breakage and fission and fusion.

This study improves our understanding of the factors that lead to genetic diversity in these insects. This will guide efforts to protect and conserve specific species facing unique challenges and environmental changes related to climate change.

“The chromosomes of most butterflies and moths living today can be directly traced back to 32 ancestral Merian elements that existed 250 million years ago,” said Dr. Charlotte Wright, researcher at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. said.

“It is surprising that even though the species has diversified extensively, its chromosomes have remained surprisingly intact.”

“This calls into question the idea that stable chromosomes may limit species diversification. Indeed, this feature may be the basis for building diversity. We We hope to find clues about rare groups that have circumvented these rules.”

“Studies like this that allow us to delve into these evolutionary processes are only possible through efforts like the Darwin Tree of Life Project, which generate high-quality, publicly available genome assemblies,” Blaxter said. the professor said.

“We are stepping up these efforts with Project Psyche, where we aim to sequence all 11,000 butterfly and moth species in Europe in collaboration with collaborators across the continent.”

“As important pollinators, herbivores, and food sources in a variety of ecosystems, and as powerful indicators of ecosystem health, a deeper understanding of the biology of butterflies and moths through Project Psyche will This will be useful for future research on adaptation and speciation for biodiversity conservation.”

_____

CJ light other. Comparative genomics reveals the dynamics of chromosome evolution in Lepidoptera. Nat Ecole Evol, published online on February 21, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41559-024-02329-4

Source: www.sci.news