gas cloud
Diffuse space vapor
A gas cloud is a diffuse mass of gas in space, often spanning light-years and serving as the birthplace of stars.
Gravity draws the gas together until nuclear fusion ignites.
Closer to home, gas cloud describes any visible accumulation of airborne gas: A gas cloud from the chemical plant drifted toward town.
The term also appears in descriptions of volcanic eruptions and industrial accidents.
- nebulaInterstellar gas formation
- cosmicPertaining to the universe
- cosmic dustMicroscopic particles pervading space
- dustFine settled particles
- interstellarBetween celestial bodies
deep space · outer space · Milky Way · hydrogen · stellar · supernova · plasma · dark matter · swirling · haze · mist · diffuse · helium · molecular · emission · void · dense · collapse
- space objectsgalaxy, star cluster, nebula, planet, quasar
- nonsolidsliquid, fluid, plasma, vapor, steam
- gasesair, oxygen, helium, nitrogen, hydrogen
- galaxy partsgalactic core, spiral arms, galactic center, spiral arm, nucleus
- galactic centersupermassive black hole
- galactic coresupermassive black hole, star cluster, bulge