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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Our Solar System Seems to Exist Inside a "Bubble" of the Interstellar Medium

Our Solar System Seems to Exist Inside a "Bubble" of the Interstellar Medium

ScoCen

We seem to be inside a "local bubble" in a network of cavities in the interstellar medium, probably carved by massive star explosions millions of years ago. The interstellar medium (or ISM) is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space.

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