. ▁During ▁their ▁lives ▁and ▁death s , ▁stars ▁interact ▁phys ically ▁with ▁the ▁IS M . ▁St ell ar ▁wind s ▁from ▁young ▁clusters ▁of ▁stars ▁( o ften ▁with ▁giant ▁or ▁super gi ant ▁H II ▁regions ▁surrounding ▁them ) ▁and ▁shock ▁waves ▁created ▁by ▁super nov ae ▁inject ▁enorm ous ▁amounts ▁of ▁energy ▁into ▁their ▁surr ound ings , ▁which ▁leads ▁to ▁hyp erson ic ▁tur bul ence . ▁The ▁result ant ▁structures ▁are ▁stell ar ▁wind ▁b ub bles ▁and ▁super b ub bles ▁of ▁hot ▁gas . ▁The ▁Sun ▁is ▁currently ▁travel ing ▁through ▁the ▁Local ▁Inter stell ar ▁Cloud , ▁a ▁dens er ▁region ▁in ▁the ▁low - dens ity ▁Local ▁B ubble . ▁ ▁To ▁measure ▁the ▁spectrum ▁of ▁the ▁diff use ▁X - ray ▁emission ▁from ▁the ▁inter stell ar ▁medium ▁over ▁the ▁energy ▁range ▁ 0 . 0 7 ▁to ▁ 1 ▁ke V , ▁NASA ▁launched ▁a ▁Black ▁Br ant ▁ 9 ▁from ▁White ▁S ands ▁Miss ile ▁Range , ▁New ▁Mexico ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁The ▁Princi pal ▁Investig ator ▁for ▁the ▁mission ▁is ▁Dr . ▁Dan ▁Mc Cam mon ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin – Mad ison . ▁ ▁Bal lo ons ▁ ▁Bal lo on ▁fl ights ▁can ▁carry ▁instruments ▁to ▁alt itudes ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 4 0   km ▁above ▁sea ▁level , ▁where ▁they ▁are ▁above ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁ 9 9 . 9 9 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁Earth