Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
type: Concept
broader: Interstellar dust

Silicate grains
type: Concept
broader: Interstellar dust

Very small grains
type: Concept
broader: Interstellar dust

Carbonaceous grains
type: Concept
broader: Interstellar dust

Solid matter physics
type: Concept
related: Interstellar dust

Interstellar clouds
type: Concept
narrower: Interstellar dust

Interstellar dust
type: Concept
contributor: AAS Frey.Katie
modified: 2020-11-10T17:46:16.752Z
modified: 2020-11-10T17:46:06.676Z
alternative label: Dust grain
alternative label: Dust grains
alternative label: Interstellar dust grains
alternative label: Interstellar dust clouds
alternative label: Cosmic dust
alternative label: Interstellar grains
broader: Interstellar clouds
definition: An aggregation of dust grains in the space between stars. Interstellar dust absorbs, scatters, and polarizes the light from distant stars, causing the interstellar extinction. Large dark regions in the plane of the Milky Way and other galaxies are caused by intervening clouds of dust. The conclusive proof for the presence of a general and selective interstellar absorption is due to R. J. Trumpler (1930).
narrower: Silicate grains
narrower: Carbonaceous grains
narrower: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
narrower: Very small grains
related: Interstellar dust extinction
related: Interstellar dust processes
related: Solid matter physics

Interstellar dust extinction
type: Concept
related: Interstellar dust

Interstellar dust processes
type: Concept
related: Interstellar dust