The Local Interstellar Cloud . ... In the disk of our Milky Way Galaxy about 10 percent of visible matter is in the form of gas, called the interstellar medium (ISM). ... A working map of the local ISM within 10 light-years based on recent observations is shown above . These observations show that our Sun is moving through a Local Interstellar Cloud as this cloud flows outwards from the Scorpius-Centaurus Association star forming region. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...