Interstellar environment
Interstellar Dust
The tiny grains of silicate and carbon — often coated in mantles of ice — that pervade the interstellar medium. They redden and dim starlight, radiate in the infrared, and, crucially, provide the surfaces on which many molecules are built.
Environments, telescopes & molecules
Across astrochemistry
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Diffuse Interstellar Medium
- Associated withInfrared
- Associated withGrain-Surface Chemistry
- Associated withCarbon Dioxide
- Associated withMethanol
- Associated withGrain-Surface Chemistry
- Associated withReflection Nebula
- Associated withDark Nebula
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.