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  1. Interstellar medium - Wikipedia

    • The interstellar medium (ISM) is the matter and radiation that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, as well as dust and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space. The energy that occupies the same volume, in the form of el… See more

    Interstellar matter

    Table 1 shows a breakdown of the properties of the components of the ISM of the Milky Way.
    Field, Goldsmith & Hab…

    Heating and cooling

    The ISM is usually far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Collisions establish a Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution of velocities, and the 'temperature' normally used to describe interstellar gas is the 'kinetic temperature', which describes th…

    Observations of the ISM

    Despite its extremely low density, photons generated in the ISM are prominent in nearly all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. In fact the optical band, on which astronomers relied until well into the 20th century, is the one in which the ISM is lea…

    Radiowave propagation

    Radio waves are affected by the plasma properties of the ISM. The lowest frequency radio waves, below ≈ 0.1 MHz, cannot propagate through the ISM since they are below its plasma frequency. At higher frequencies, the plasma has a significant …

    History of knowledge of interstellar space

    The word 'interstellar' (between the stars) was coined by Francis Bacon in the context of the ancient theory of a literal sphere of fixed stars. Later in the 17th century, when the idea that stars were scattered through infinite space became popular, it was deb…

     
  1. The interstellar medium (ISM) is the matter and radiation that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, as well as dust and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space.
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_medium
    The matter in the space between the stars is called interstellar matter or the interstellar medium. The interstellar medium consists of atoms, ions, and molecules of gas and dust grains. It is both concentrated into clouds and spread out between stars and the clouds.
    www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/as…
    The interstellar medium, composed primarily of gas and dust, occupies the regions between the stars. On average, it contains less than one atom in each cubic centimetre, with about 1 percent of its mass in the form of minute dust grains.
    www.britannica.com/science/interstellar-matter
    The Interstellar Medium (ISM) is the material filling the space between the stars. It consists mainly of gas (99%) and dust (1%), mostly found in the form of clouds, or nebulae (plural of nebula). About 75% of the interstellar gas is in the form of hydrogen, and nearly all the remaining 25% as helium.
    cesar.esa.int/upload/201807/ism_booklet.pdf
    interstellar medium, region between the stars that contains vast, diffuse clouds of gases and minute solid particles. Such tenuous matter in the interstellar medium of the Milky Way system, in which the Earth is located, accounts for about 5 percent of the Galaxy’s total mass.
    www.britannica.com/science/interstellar-medium
  2. What is interstellar space and where does it begin?

    Jan 17, 2023 · Interstellar space is the area between the stars, but it is far from empty. It contains vast quantities of neutrinos, charged particles, atoms, molecules, dark matter and photons ranging...

  3. Interstellar Matter - Encyclopedia.com

  4. Interstellar medium | Gas, Dust & Radiation | Britannica

    interstellar medium, region between the stars that contains vast, diffuse clouds of gases and minute solid particles. Such tenuous matter in the interstellar medium of the Milky Way system, in which the Earth is located, accounts for about 5 …

  5. Interstellar Matter - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

  6. 20.1: The Interstellar Medium - Physics LibreTexts

  7. The Interstellar Medium | Astronomy - Lumen Learning

    Astronomers refer to all the material between stars as interstellar matter; the entire collection of interstellar matter is called the interstellar medium (ISM). Some interstellar material is concentrated into giant clouds, each of which is known …

  8. The Interstellar Medium - WorldAtlas

    Jul 18, 2022 · Interstellar space is saturated with gas and dust called the interstellar medium. This medium consists almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, along with trace amounts of heavier elements. Hydrogen makes up …

  9. 20.1 The Interstellar Medium – Astronomy - University of Central ...

  10. What is the Interstellar Medium? - University of New Hampshire