10: Interstellar Media
- Page ID
- 115284
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Introduction
Sometimes, people can focus on the biggest and brightest objects and forget the importance of the little things. The universe is full of exciting objects like black holes and galaxies. At the same time, the gas and dust in between these objects has a lot to tell us about the universe.
- Describe how the interstellar medium is divided into gaseous and solid components
- List the major types of interstellar gas
- Explain the role and importance of infrared observations in studying dust
- Define the terms extinction and interstellar reddening
- Define cosmic rays and describe their composition
- Explain how dust grains help produce molecules that eventually find their way into planetary systems
- Describe how interstellar matter is arranged around the Solar System
Thumbnail: What looks much like craggy mountains on a moonlit evening is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals previously obscured areas of star birth. ("Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula," NASA, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)