Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2022

46 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 ASTRO PUBLISHING N ew images using data from European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA missions showcase the gas and dust that fill the space between stars in four of the galaxies closest to our own Milky Way. More than striking, the snapshots are also a scientific trove, lending insight into how dramatically the density of dust clouds can vary within a galaxy. With a consistency similar to smoke, dust is created by dying stars and is one of the materials that forms new stars. The dust clouds observed by space telescopes are constantly shaped and molded by exploding stars, stellar winds, and the effects of gravity. Almost half of all the starlight in the universe is absorbed by dust. Four of our galactic neighbors in a different light by NASA/ESA Calla E. Cofield