An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A component of the → interstellar medium in the Galaxy which appears as pockets of gas at temperatures of over one million degrees, but extremely low densities of 10⁴ atoms per cubic centimeter. The hot coronal gas is believed to be material blown out of violent supernova explosions. It is called “coronal gas”, after a similarity with the hot gas in → solar corona.

See also: → coronal; → gas.