It's no wonder people are going nuts over this new color -- look at it. LOOK AT IT. It's beautiful.
The blue, called YInMn, was accidentally discovered by Mas Subramanian, a professor of materials science at Oregon State University.
He was doing all kinds of experiments to try and create new materials for electronics.
So, the professor threw a bunch of chemicals in with manganese oxide, which is black, and heated them to around 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit when BAM! Sexy new color.
That was back in 2009.
But now, there's a lot of hype about the new color because it's reportedly getting officially released later this year.
That means it'll be available to artists and manufacturers who'll hopefully be adding an amazing blue splash of color to all our lives.
Subramanian said in an OSU press release,
It was serendipity, actually; a happy, accidental discovery. The basic crystal structure we're using for these pigments was known before, but no one had ever considered using it for any commercial purpose, including pigments. Ever since the early Egyptians developed some of the first blue pigments, the pigment industry has been struggling to address problems with safety, toxicity and durability.
Yay! Go Mas and his incredible blue hue.
Citations: Scientists Accidentally Discover New Shade of Blue (Mental Floss), Licensing agreement reached on brilliant new blue pigment discovered by happy accident (Oregon State University News and Research Communications)
