reference massive gas clouds in space, floating and swirling around stars, galaxies, quasars, or wherever. But if outer space is so cold, approaching 0 Kelvin in many places, how do these elements stay in a gaseous state? Where does the heat or energy come from that allows it to remain a gas in the cold void of space? Is it residual kinetic energy, gravity and/or heat generated by nearby stars and galaxies, residual heat from the Big Bang, or something else?