interstellar cloud

Cosmic dust accumulation

An interstellar cloud is a mass of gas and dust floating in the space between stars.

These clouds vary enormously in size and density—some are diffuse and nearly invisible, others are dense enough to block light from stars behind them.

Many serve as stellar nurseries where new stars form from gravitational collapse: The Orion Nebula is a famous interstellar cloud.

star-formation

protostar

Pre-fusion celestial body

fragmentationBreaking into smaller pieces
accretionGrowth through external addition
outflowFluid exiting a system

composition

hydrogen

Simplest atomic element

heliumLightest noble gas
dustFine settled particles
plasmaElectrified matter state

silicates · isotopes

structure

filament

Very thin thread

clumpThick gathered mass
coreCentral essential portion
envelopeFolded paper enclosure

shell · bubble · pillar · globule · turbulence · shockwave · compression · expansion · morphology

nebula

filamentary

Composed of fine threads

light-yearsUnits of astronomical distance
luminosityIntrinsic brightness of source
ionizationCharge acquisition process

nebulosity · diffuse

observation

infrared

Heat-bearing electromagnetic waves

spectroscopyStudy of light-matter interaction
redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
submillimeterLess than one millimeter

microwave · nebulosity · extinction · reddening · polarization · Hubble

Opposites

physical state/density

interstellar cloudneutron star

Ultradense stellar remnant

black hole · solid body · star · white dwarf · dead star

cosmic location

interstellar cloudstar

Luminous astronomical object

photosphere · chromosphere

location/context

interstellar cloudsolar system

Star and orbiting bodies

Family

inter, stellar, cloud, star, stars, starred, starring, starry, stardom

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