Meanings
alternative Minkowski Butterfly · alternative Minkowski butterfly · alternative Minkowski's butterfly
- astronomyA planetary nebula, a bipolar nebula in the Ophiuchus constellation with twin jets that form the wings.
Synonyms: M2-9, M 2-9, Minkowski 2-9, Twin Jet Nebula, Wings of a Butterfly Nebula
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA planetary nebula, a bipolar nebula in the Ophiuchus constellation with twin jets that form the wings.
Origin
Minkowski + butterfly. From being reminiscent of a butterfly in shape. Named after American astronomer Rudolph Minkowski, who discovered it.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Minkowski's Butterfly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Minkowski's%20Butterfly
“Minkowski's Butterfly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Minkowski's%20Butterfly. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Minkowski's Butterfly,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Minkowski's%20Butterfly.
Source: Minkowski's Butterfly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.