Interstellar dust

Interstellar dust consists of microscopic solid particles between stars. It absorbs and scatters starlight and reradiates energy as infrared emission.

Interstellar extinction: The reduction and wavelength-dependent alteration of starlight as it passes through interstellar matter. Dust grains dim and redden distant stars by absorbing and scattering their light.
Silicate minerals: Minerals built from silicon–oxygen units, common in rocky materials and many cosmic dust grains. Silicate grains produce characteristic infrared features in interstellar spectra.
Asymptotic giant branch stars: Evolved stars with extensive envelopes and strong winds during a late phase of stellar evolution. Their outflows condense refractory elements into dust and inject grains into space.
Infrared dark cloud: A cold, dense interstellar cloud seen in silhouette against bright mid-infrared emission. Dust absorption makes these clouds visible as dark structures where stars may form.
Interstellar reddening: The preferential attenuation of shorter visible wavelengths by interstellar matter, making background objects appear redder. Small grains remove more blue light, changing the apparent colors of stars behind dust.
Carbonaceous grains: Carbon-rich solid particles that occur in interstellar and circumstellar environments. Carbon-bearing grains contribute to ultraviolet absorption and infrared emission.
Supernova: A powerful stellar explosion that ejects stellar material into surrounding space. Some supernova ejecta form dust, while their shocks can also destroy existing grains.
Star formation: The process by which dense regions of interstellar gas collapse to form stars. Dust shields cold gas from radiation and participates in the chemistry of star-forming clouds.
Mie scattering: Scattering of electromagnetic waves by particles with sizes comparable to the wavelength. Its size-dependent scattering helps determine how dust redirects visible and ultraviolet light.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Planar molecules made of fused aromatic rings, detected through characteristic infrared emission in space. These small carbon-rich particles account for prominent bands in many dusty regions.

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