Frequently Asked Questions

1) Why are Starburt galaxies so bright?

Starbursts create new stars which are huge and very bright. Starbursts are made up of millions of these new stars, which is why starburst galaxies are the brightest galaxies

2) In the past were there more or less starbursts?

There were more starbursts. Billions of years ago when the universe was still expanding, galaxies were close to one another, it is strongly believed that starburst are created from collisions. It is also believed that the starbursts proximity to one another caused them to collide into one another. Thus causing the creation of more starbursts.

3) Why was Chandra invented?

Chandra was invented to observe hot objects that emit x-ray radiation. Chandra wasn’t primarily invented for the study of sunburst. Chandra was actually invented to study black holes and try and help scientist understand how they were created and how they evolve over time. They were also designed to improve previously made x-ray telescope that were funded by NASA.

4) Can the dust and the gas from the starburst create dark matter?

Although my teacher Newman will be upset I have to say yes, there is theoretically enough dust and gas from the billions of stars that dark matter can be created as well as new stars.

5) Would the sun be considered a starburst?

No, first of all a starburst is a galaxy that emits star forming activity. The sun sends off a high amount of light not star forming activity (the sun is already a formed star). Also starbursts are many stars emitting huge amounts of light while the sun is just one star.

6) What is the difference between the Milky Way aren’t they both clusters of stars that gives off star forming activity?

The Milky Way and starbursts are similar in the respect that both contain billions of stars. That is where the similarities end, the stars in the Milky Way have been around for thousands of years while starburst eventually fade away.