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10.6: Key Terms

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    Interstellar Media Key Terms

    • interstellar medium (ISM): or interstellar matter, the gas and dust between the stars in a galaxy
    • nebula: a cloud of interstellar gas or dust; the term is most often used for clouds that are seen to glow with visible light or infrared
    • interstellar dust: tiny solid grains in interstellar space thought to consist of a core of rocklike material, silicates, or graphite surrounded by a mantle of ices; water, methane, and ammonia are probably the most abundant ices
    • H II region: the region of ionized hydrogen in interstellar space
    • molecular cloud: a large dense cold interstellar cloud; because of its size and density, this type of cloud can keep ultraviolet radiation from reaching its interior where molecules are able to form and also can contain star-forming regions
    • giant molecular clouds: the largest form of molecular cloud, with diameters of dozens of light-years and typical masses of 105 solar masses; found in the spiral arms of galaxies these clouds can contain multiple star-forming regions
    • interstellar extinction: the attenuation or absorption of light by dust in the interstellar medium
    • cosmic rays: atomic nuclei, mostly protons, and electrons that are observed to strike Earth's atmosphere with very high energies
    • Local Bubble: or Local Hot Bubble, a region of low-density million degree gas in which the Sun and Solar System are currently located
    • Local Fluff: a slightly denser cloud inside the Local Bubble, inside which the Sun also lies

    10.6: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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