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Interstellar reddening is a phenomenon associated with interstellar extinction where the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation from a radiation source changes characteristics from that which the object originally emitted. Reddening occurs due to the light scattering off dust and other matter in the interstellar medium.
The interstellar medium is composed of multiple phases distinguished by whether matter is ionic, atomic, or molecular, and the temperature and density of the matter. The interstellar medium is composed primarily of hydrogen , followed by helium with trace amounts of carbon , oxygen , and nitrogen . [ 1 ]
Solar System dust includes comet dust, planetary dust (like from Mars), [4] asteroidal dust, dust from the Kuiper belt, and interstellar dust passing through the Solar System. Thousands of tons of cosmic dust are estimated to reach Earth's surface every year, [ 5 ] with most grains having a mass between 10 −16 kg (0.1 pg) and 10 −4 kg (0.1 ...
The transport of the material from the outer disk can mix these newly formed dust grains with primordial ones, which contain organic matter and other volatiles. This mixing can explain some peculiarities in the composition of Solar System bodies such as the presence of interstellar grains in primitive meteorites and refractory inclusions in comets.
Dark nebulae are dark because naked interstellar dust or dust covered with condensed gases absorb visible light by extinction and remit infrared and submillimetre radiation. Infrared emission from the dust cools the clouds down to 10 to 20 K. [ 63 ] The largest dark nebula are giant molecular clouds that contain 10 thousand to 10 million solar ...
The following tables list molecules that have been detected in the interstellar medium or circumstellar matter, grouped by the number of component atoms. Neutral molecules and their molecular ions are listed in separate columns; if there is no entry in the molecule column, only the ionized form has been detected. Designations (names of ...
The density of matter in the interstellar medium can vary considerably: the average is around 10 6 particles per m 3, [136] but cold molecular clouds can hold 10 8 –10 12 per m 3. [39] [134] A number of molecules exist in interstellar space, which can form dust particles as tiny as 0.1 μm. [137]
This medium mainly consists of hydrogen and helium, but is enhanced by traces of other elements contributed by matter expelled from stars. interstellar reddening An effect produced by the incremental absorption and scattering of electromagnetic energy from interstellar matter, known as extinction. This effect causes more distant objects such as ...