Hannah Bish (STScI)

Traditionally, studies of the Milky Way and ISM have assumed a constant value for the interstellar radiation field (ISRF) in the nearby Galaxy. This is often the most reasonable assumption given the limited information we have. However, in reality the ISRF varies depending on proximity to stars, dust extinction, and other factors, and these variations can greatly influence the properties of diffuse matter. Thanks to recent progress in the quality of local dust maps and distances to UV-bright stars, we are now able to calculate a detailed representation of the UV radiation background within 370 pc of the Sun - a data set we call LightCube. I will present this data set, discuss our initial findings, and touch on potential uses of LightCube by the community.