How does the mass of all the interstellar matter in our galaxy compare with the total mass of its stars?
If you include dark matter, which is poorly understood and invisible, and makes up about 90% of the total Milky Way's mass, there is more interstellar matter than stars within our galaxy.
However, the total mass of interstellar gas and dust is a few percent of the total mass of stars, according to what I can find by searching the web.
To compare the mass of all the interstellar matter in our galaxy with the total mass of its stars, we need to find information about the interstellar matter and the stars separately.
To determine the mass of interstellar matter in our galaxy, we can look at the research and scientific data available. Scientists estimate that only about 10% of the total matter in our galaxy is in the form of stars, while the remaining 90% consists of interstellar matter. Interstellar matter includes gas, dust particles, and other materials found between stars.
The easiest way to quantify the mass of interstellar matter is to consider hydrogen gas, as it is the most abundant element in the universe and makes up a significant portion of interstellar matter. Astronomers often use the measurement called the "solar mass" to describe the mass of celestial objects. The mass of our Sun is approximately 1.989 × 10^30 kilograms.
Now, to determine the mass of stars in our galaxy, we need to estimate the total number of stars and then multiply it by the average mass of a star. However, estimating the exact number of stars in our galaxy is a challenging task. Based on current knowledge, astronomers estimate that the Milky Way galaxy contains around 200 billion to 400 billion stars.
The mass of stars varies widely, spanning from light stars, which are roughly 0.1 solar masses, to massive stars, which can be several tens of solar masses or even hundreds of solar masses. For the sake of simplification, let's assume that the average mass of a star in our galaxy is roughly equivalent to the mass of our Sun (1 solar mass).
Now let's do the calculations:
- 90% of the mass in our galaxy is interstellar matter.
- So, the mass of interstellar matter = 0.9 * Total mass of the galaxy.
- 10% of the mass in our galaxy is stars.
- The total mass of stars = 0.1 * Total mass of the galaxy.
- Assuming there are approximately 200 billion stars in our galaxy (a conservative estimate).
- The total mass of stars = Average mass of a star * Number of stars.
Considering these estimations and calculations, we can say that the mass of all the interstellar matter in our galaxy is significantly greater than the total mass of its stars. The interstellar matter outweighs the stellar mass by a considerable factor, making it the dominant component in terms of mass in the Milky Way galaxy. Keep in mind that these estimations are based on current knowledge and are subject to refinements as research provides more accurate measurements in the future.