What materials primarily constitute the dust found within our Solar System's interplanetary medium?
Answer
Debris ejected from asteroids and vaporizing icy comet material
The composition of dust varies based on its location; the dust residing within the space between the planets (the interplanetary medium) has a source profile distinct from older, interstellar dust. This near-Sun material is largely composed of recent debris generated through mechanical breakdown—specifically, fragments ejected from asteroids traveling through the system—combined with volatile material. This volatile component comes from icy substances vaporizing off comets as those icy bodies make their passage closer to the Sun.
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