Hey there! Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what’s out there between the stars? You might think space is just empty, but there’s actually a lot more going on!
Many people think that space is a complete vacuum, meaning there’s nothing in it. But that’s not entirely true. Space isn’t packed with stuff, but it’s not completely empty either. Even in our own solar system, there’s a lot of tiny dust floating around. This dust comes from things like asteroids crashing into each other, comets melting, and even from volcanoes on planets or moons.
These tiny particles in space are affected by things like radiation, collisions, and the gravity of planets. Besides dust, space also has ions and electrons from the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles from the sun. Together, these particles make up what’s called the interplanetary medium. Scientists study this medium using spacecraft and telescopes, and they can even collect some of this space dust from Earth’s upper atmosphere.
In our solar system, there are about five particles per cubic centimeter. That might sound like a lot, but compared to the air we breathe, which has three quintillion molecules per cubic centimeter, it’s almost nothing!
When the Cassini spacecraft was orbiting Saturn, it found some dust particles that didn’t belong to our solar system. These particles came from outside our solar system and are part of what’s called the interstellar medium, which is the stuff between stars.
The interstellar medium is mostly gas, with about 99% of it being hydrogen and helium. The rest is made up of other elements that were formed in the cores of stars that have since died. These tiny interstellar dust particles are made of things like silicates, carbon, ice, or iron compounds. They’re leftovers from stars that have burned out.
Even though the interstellar medium is very sparse, with only about one atom per cubic centimeter, it plays a crucial role in the universe. The material from dead stars gets recycled to form new stars. Sometimes, a supernova explosion occurs when a star dies, sending shockwaves that can create new stars from the surrounding gas.
Space isn’t just filled with natural wonders; there are also some interesting man-made objects out there. For example, there was once an old spacesuit turned into a satellite called “SuitSat-1.” It orbited Earth for a while, sending signals back to us.
Space is full of mysteries and exciting things to learn about. If you have any wild science questions, don’t hesitate to ask! And keep exploring the wonders of the universe!
Gather materials like glitter, sand, and small beads to create a model of space dust. Use a clear container to mix these materials, representing the interplanetary and interstellar mediums. Observe how the particles interact and discuss how they might be influenced by forces like gravity and solar wind.
Use a computer simulation or an online tool to explore the interstellar medium. Observe how gas and dust particles behave in space. Pay attention to how these particles contribute to star formation and the recycling of materials in the universe.
Conduct a simple experiment to simulate collecting space dust. Use a sticky surface, like tape, to capture dust particles in your environment. Compare the collected dust to what scientists might find in space, discussing the differences and similarities.
Choose a phenomenon related to the interplanetary or interstellar medium, such as solar wind or supernovae. Research how it affects space dust and the formation of stars. Present your findings to the class using a visual aid, like a poster or slideshow.
Work in groups to design a hypothetical spacecraft mission aimed at studying the interstellar medium. Decide on the mission’s goals, the instruments needed, and the data you hope to collect. Present your mission plan to the class, explaining how it could advance our understanding of space.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey Trace, do you ever look up at the night sky and wonder what the stars are made of? Nah, but sometimes I wonder what’s in between the stars.
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Wow! Hey everyone, Amy and Trace with you on DNews today, taking a look at the common misconception that space between the stars is a vacuum. Yep, space is not a vacuum, but it’s not exactly bursting at the seams either. There is material out there; it’s just so incredibly sparse that space is almost a vacuum. Even right here in our own solar system, interplanetary space is actually full of tiny dust particles. These particles are created when asteroids collide, when comets evaporate, and when material is sprayed from the geysers or volcanoes on planets or moons.
These particles evolve from radiation, collisions with other particles, and when a planet’s gravity tugs on them. And it’s not just dust out there; space also contains ions and electrons from the plasma ejected as solar wind. Collectively, this super particle mix is called the interplanetary medium, and we’ve measured it using various spacecraft and remote sensing techniques, like Earth-based observations with telescopes and radar. We can even collect interplanetary dust caught in our upper atmosphere.
Based on scientists’ measurements, our solar system contains about five particles per cubic centimeter—definitely not a vacuum, but close. For comparison, the air we’re breathing right now has three quintillion molecules per cubic centimeter. Because it’s around us all the time, we know our interplanetary dust comes from our solar system; we’ve measured it and can account for it. Some of it is even left over untouched from the time our solar system first formed.
So when the Cassini spacecraft, currently orbiting Saturn, picked up some dust fragments, scientists got super excited because it wasn’t our dust; it was interstellar. Cassini was measuring all kinds of particles native to the Saturnian system when it caught a whopping 36 dust particles that didn’t match the dust in Saturn’s system, which means those particles came from outside our solar system. This new mix is called the interstellar medium because it’s between stars.
The interstellar medium is 99% gas, about three-quarters of which is hydrogen and the other quarter helium. The remaining percentage consists of all the other elements on the periodic table, and get this—those elements formed in the cores of now-dead stars. I love space!
The interstellar medium is even more sparse than the interplanetary medium; there’s only about one atom per cubic centimeter. These interstellar dust particles are extremely tiny, just micro across, regularly shaped, and mostly consist of silicates, carbon, ice, or iron compounds. Yes, they’re leftover from dying stars. As stars slowly burn through their available gaseous fuel sources, they give off something you can think of as atomic soot.
But that’s not to say it’s interstellar pollution; there’s still more than enough material out there to make galaxies, and in some spots, the gas is super dense. All that material from dead stars is recycled into new stars. Huge cold clouds of molecular hydrogen can sit idle until a nudge makes a structure unstable. At that point, gravity pulls the cloud in on itself, heating and condensing until a new star is born, blowing away material in its energetic birth.
On the other end of a star’s life, there is often a supernova explosion. This is when the star’s gravity becomes too strong, and it dies by imploding on itself, bouncing off its own core and exploding. The shock from these imploding explosions can heat the gas in that stellar neighborhood enough to rip electrons from the atoms, and the resulting glowing x-ray radiation sends some gas blowing off into intergalactic space. Sometimes, particles from these crazy interstellar events fly into our solar system, which is what the Cassini scientists detected.
So even though the space between planets and stars is only populated with a few minute particles of dust, in the hands of good scientists, we can learn a ton. I love space!
There are all kinds of interesting man-made things kicking around in space too. For a few months, there was even an old spacesuit repurposed as a satellite orbiting the Earth. This suit was dubbed “SuitSat-1” and was fitted with three batteries and an antenna. During a spacewalk on February 3rd, 2006, astronauts and cosmonauts performing an EVA sent the man-shaped, very human-looking spacesuit turned satellite off away from the International Space Station.
If you could ask any crazy science question, then why don’t you? That’s what the comment section is for! And make sure you subscribe so you can get the answer. Thanks for watching DNews!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Space – The vast, seemingly infinite area that exists beyond Earth’s atmosphere where all celestial bodies are found. – Example sentence: Astronauts travel to space to conduct experiments and explore the unknown.
Stars – Massive, luminous spheres of plasma held together by gravity, emitting light and heat. – Example sentence: The stars in the night sky form patterns known as constellations.
Dust – Tiny particles of matter found in space, often forming clouds that can block or reflect light. – Example sentence: The dust in the galaxy can sometimes obscure our view of distant stars.
Particles – Small portions of matter, such as atoms or molecules, that make up everything in the universe. – Example sentence: Scientists study particles in space to understand the composition of distant planets.
Solar – Relating to the Sun, especially in terms of energy or phenomena originating from it. – Example sentence: Solar flares are bursts of energy from the Sun that can affect communication systems on Earth.
Medium – A substance or material through which something is transmitted or carried, such as light or sound. – Example sentence: Space is considered a vacuum, meaning it lacks a medium for sound to travel through.
Hydrogen – The lightest and most abundant element in the universe, often found in stars and galaxies. – Example sentence: Hydrogen is the primary fuel for nuclear fusion in stars, including our Sun.
Helium – A light, inert gas that is the second most abundant element in the universe, produced by nuclear fusion in stars. – Example sentence: Helium is created in the core of stars as hydrogen atoms fuse together under immense pressure.
Supernova – A powerful and luminous explosion that occurs when a star reaches the end of its life cycle. – Example sentence: A supernova can outshine an entire galaxy for a short period and is crucial for dispersing elements into space.
Universe – The totality of all space, time, matter, and energy that exists, including galaxies, stars, and planets. – Example sentence: The universe is constantly expanding, with galaxies moving farther apart over time.
