What are the primary gaseous components of the Interstellar Medium in spiral galaxies?
Answer
Hydrogen and helium
The gaseous component of the Interstellar Medium (ISM) within spiral galaxies is overwhelmingly composed of the lightest elements, specifically hydrogen and helium, with heavier elements present only in trace amounts.
Related Questions
What are the primary gaseous components of the Interstellar Medium in spiral galaxies?Up to what diameter do cosmic dust particles typically range in size?Which types of refractory materials constitute the composition of cosmic dust?In which part of a spiral galaxy is the gas and dust overwhelmingly concentrated?What characterizes the stellar population and material reserves in the central bulge of a spiral galaxy?What term is used to describe the effect where dust absorbs and scatters light from stars located behind it?At which primary spectrum does dust reradiate the energy it absorbs from visible light?Why are the spiral arms bright with newborn, massive stars?What specific materials do massive stars enrich the ISM with when they die in supernova explosions?What role do dust lanes play when observed using visible light telescopes?