What is a starburst galaxy?
Q: What is a starburst galaxy?
A: A starburst galaxy is a galaxy with a very high rate of star formation.
Q: How long does the starburst nature of a galaxy last?
A: The starburst nature of a galaxy lasts only a short phase in a galaxy's evolution, just tens of millions of years.
Q: What happens to the gas reservoir in a starburst galaxy?
A: The gas reservoir in a starburst galaxy will quickly be used up by the high rate of star formation.
Q: What is the connection between starburst galaxies and galaxy mergers?
A: Most starburst galaxies are in the midst of a galaxy merger or at least close encounter with another galaxy.
Q: What can studying nearby starburst galaxies help us explore?
A: Studying nearby starburst galaxies can help us explore the history of galaxy formation and evolution.
Q: Why are very distant galaxies seen in the Hubble Deep Field known to be starbursts?
A: Very distant galaxies seen in the Hubble Deep Field are known to be starbursts because the light we see from them left them when the universe was much younger, and looking at nearby examples give us an idea of what was happening in the early universe.
Q: Why are starburst galaxies more common further away?
A: Starburst galaxies are more common further away because they seem to be quite rare in our local universe, and this suggests there were more of them billions of years ago when galaxies were closer together and more likely to be influenced by each other's gravity.
