In our galaxy alone, there are several hundred billion stars. The stars
in the Milky Way galaxy are easy to see on a clear night, although most appear
as a dimly lit cloud. Equally easy to see is the space between the stars
- but how often do you wonder about this space? Most of us have an idea
that these vast spaces are empty, a perfect vacuum. In fact, these spaces
are filled with a cold and hot, very thin gas and microscopic grains of dust
.
This Interstellar Medium (ISM), or stuff between the stars, may contain
important clues about
formation and evolution of galaxies.
CHIPS
is a NASA satellite-based observatory, launched in January 2003
to study the million degree gas in the Interstellar
Medium (ISM).
Join
us on a scientific exploration of space that may help to unravel some of the
mysteries of the universe. Explore the links shown at the left of this
page to
learn more about the ISM and the CHIPS mission.
- What
is the ISM and why are scientists studying it?
- How
does the ISM change over time and how are those changes important?
- What
role does the ISM play in the life cycle of stars?
- What is the goal of the CHIPS mission and
what type of data is collected by CHIPS?
This website is designed to make the CHIPS missions
accessible to educators as well as the general
public, and includes a special section for students.
