Why are galactic center is so bright?

The Galactic centre is bright simply because the are lots of stars packed in there. The number density of stars in the bulge is high. I’m afraid our Supermassive Black Hole, Sgr A* is utterly unimportant in terms of brightness.

What is the bright light in the middle of galaxies?

The galaxy’s center is the bright white spot in the middle of the photo — that’s where hot massive stars crowd together. Somewhere in that center lies a supermassive black hole.

Do elliptical galaxies emit light?

In recent years, the centers of elliptical galaxies have been found to emit unexpectedly high amounts of blue and ultraviolet light. Most blue light from spiral galaxies originates from massive young hot stars, in contrast to the red light from the old cool stars thought to compose ellipticals.

Which galaxy has a bright center and a roundish or elliptical shape?

Our Milky Way, like other spiral galaxies, has a linear, starry bar at its center. Elliptical galaxies are shaped as their name suggests: They are generally round but can stretch longer along one axis than along the other, so much so that some take on a cigar-like appearance.

What is true about elliptical galaxies quizlet?

True: In general, elliptical galaxies contain very little cool gas.

Why is the center of the galaxy yellow?

The green features are from carbon-rich dust molecules, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are illuminated by the surrounding starlight as they swirl around the galaxy’s core. The yellow-red patches are the thermal glow from +- bustling hubs of young stars.

How are elliptical galaxies different from spiral galaxies?

Spiral galaxies have a central bulge of stars surrounded by a disk that contains arms, which form a spiral structure. Elliptical galaxies don’t show any structure, but have a smooth ellipsoidal shape, appearing as a large spherical or elliptical ball of stars.

Do elliptical galaxies have black holes?

Deep in the centers, ellipticals each contain a supermassive black hole. A typical black hole forms from the death of a massive star and weighs at most a few times more than our sun. The black holes in galactic centers, however, can contain the mass of several billion suns.

Why are there more elliptical galaxies in clusters?

When two spirals collide, they lose their familiar shape, morphing into the less-structured elliptical galaxies. A supermassive black hole is thought to lie at the center of these ancient galaxies. Born from collision, elliptical galaxies are more commonly found around clusters and groups of galaxies.

What are the 3 main galaxies?

What Kinds of Galaxies Are There? Astronomers classify galaxies into three major categories: elliptical, spiral and irregular.

Why are there so few new stars in elliptical galaxies?

Research in just the past few years has revealed quite a bit about the evolution of elliptical galaxies. A 2014 study showed that supermassive black holes might be stopping star formation in elliptical galaxies, which would help explain why there are so few new stars in ellipticals.

What is the difference between an elliptical and spiral galaxy?

Spiral galaxies are hotbeds of star formation, but elliptical galaxies aren’t nearly as prolific because they contain less gas and dust, which means fewer new (and brighter) stars are born. The existing stars inside an elliptical galaxy tend to be older, giving off more red light than younger stars.

What is the largest elliptical galaxy in the universe?

M87, identified as one of the largest galaxies in the universe, is classified as an E0 elliptical galaxy. Astronomers have identified more spiral galaxies than ellipticals, but that’s simply because the spirals are easier to spot.

Why do stars in spiral galaxies have different velocities?

Because of the spiral shape, a star located at a large distance from the center would have higher velocity than the one which is closer to the center. But after observing the velocities of stars in various regions of our galaxy, we found out that velocities of stars do not obey this rule.