An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A region of low density in the → interstellar medium surrounding the → Solar System. It extends at least 300 → light-years in most directions and encompasses the stars of the immediate → solar neighborhood. The Local Bubble contains a hot, million-degree ionized hydrogen gas that emits in → X-rays. → Neutral hydrogen has a density approximately one tenth of the average for the interstellar medium in the Milky Way. The bubble is thought to be a result of the → shock waves from → supernovae sweeping through the region within the past two to four million years.

See also: → local; → bubble.