interstellar dust
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Structure of the Milky Way
In the vast expanse of the cosmos, the Milky Way Galaxy is our home. You’ve no doubt seen images of the Milky Way and similar galaxies elsewhere online. It’s a large, spiral galaxy, one of the most spectacular galactic shapes.…
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Observations of Star Birth
Astronomers have a pretty solid idea of how stars are born. They begin within the dense, cold dust of an interstellar cloud such as this one. They heat up and get more luminous as they contract, and then drop in…
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How are Stars Born?
Astronomers have discovered that the clouds of gas and dust — the interstellar medium (ISM) — found between the stars are made of the same materials as the stars themselves. In fact, hydrogen is the most common element in both…
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Where Did the Interstellar Medium Come From?
Contrary to popular belief, space is not empty. The space between the stars is filled with clouds of dust and gas. And this space — the interstellar medium — is incredibly beautiful and fascinating. I often refer to the interstellar…
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What are Molecular Clouds?
Meet the Pillars of Creation, a photograph taken by the Hubble Telescope in 1995. These apparent “pillars” of dust and gas are what we call molecular clouds. And this region of clouds in space is aptly named: it’s where stars are…
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Radiation from Interstellar Dust
Does this sight look familiar? If you’ve had the opportunity to observe the night sky from a dark place, far away from the light pollution of the city, on a clear night, you might have seen this before. It’s the…
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Interstellar Spectra
I often refer to what we call the interstellar medium as the galaxy’s “backstage,” and I do that for a reason: for the most part, we can’t see it. The backstage of any theater isn’t part of the show. You, as…
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Extinction and Reddening of Starlight
Take a wild guess: What do you think this image is showing you? If you said it looks like a giant black hole in space, I don’t blame you. I also don’t blame you if you thought it looks like…
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What is a Nebula Made of?
What you see here is the Trifid Nebula, a vast cloud of gas and dust in space. In my last post, we explored why it looks the way it does. We discovered that the pink hues of emission nebulae are caused…
