Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Interstellar medium
The interstellar medium (or ISM) is the name astronomers give to the tenuous gas and dust that pervade interstellar space.
Note: The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article "Interstellar medium", which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Related Stories
1
2
Space & Time News
May 22, 2025
May 21, 2025 — Astronomers have witnessed for the first time a violent cosmic collision in which one galaxy pierces another with intense radiation. Their results show that this radiation dampens the wounded galaxy's ability to form new ...
May 19, 2025 — The largest sample of galaxy groups ever detected has been presented by a team of international astronomers using data from the James Webb Space telescope (JWST) in an area of the sky called COSMOS ...
May 14, 2025 — Researchers propose a new theory for the origin of dark matter, the invisible substance thought to give the universe its shape and structure. Their mathematical models show that dark matter could ...
May 14, 2025 — A new study achieves unprecedented accuracy in modelling extreme cosmic events like black hole and neutron star collisions by calculating the fifth post-Minkowskian (5PM) order, crucial for interpreting gravitational wave data from current and ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
May 21, 2025 — Scientists have discovered how solar activity affects the velocity distribution and evolution of helium pickup ...
May 22, 2025 — Astronomers have observed a massive and extremely active barred spiral galaxy in the early Universe and found that it has important similarities and differences with modern galaxies. This improves ...
May 22, 2025 — The puzzling behavior of Titan's atmosphere has been revealed. The team has shown that the thick, hazy atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon doesn't spin in line with its surface, but instead wobbles ...
May 21, 2025 — The fundamental building blocks for planet formation can exist even in environments with extreme ultraviolet radiation, according to a new ...
May 20, 2025 — In the intriguing realm of star-forming galaxies, the key factor isn't the total amount of gas but rather its strategic distribution within the ...
May 20, 2025 — Astronomers have filled a large gap in knowledge about Mars' water cycle. Their research on water percolating from surface to aquifer could change the picture of what early Mars was like, suggesting ...
May 19, 2025 — Astronomers searching for massive black holes shredding stars found one in an unusual place -- 2,600 light years from the core of a galaxy. The roque black hole may be from an earlier merger with ...
May 19, 2025 — Researchers analyzed a global database of 500,000 strange streaks that occur on steep Martian slopes, concluding that they're most likely caused by dry processes rather than liquid ...
May 15, 2025 — The Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) aboard NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft has successfully completed its initial commissioning following the October 14, 2024, launch. Scheduled to arrive in the ...
May 15, 2025 — Researchers have discovered that Cepheid variable stars in our neighboring galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, are moving in opposing directions along two distinct axes. They found that stars closer ...