Why do we believe that starburst galaxies represent a temporary stage in galaxy evolution?
A)We observe starbursts to last only a few years at a time.
B)Such galaxies produce so much light that they would have consumed all their gas long ago if they had always been forming stars at this high rate.
C)We don't see any nearby starburst galaxies.
D)All starburst galaxies look like normal spiral galaxies,aside from the starbursts.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Starburst galaxies have such high rates of star formation that if they had been forming stars at that rate for their entire lifetime, they would have run out of gas long ago. This suggests that starburst galaxies are a temporary stage in galaxy evolution rather than a long-term stable state.

Why Do We Believe That Starburst Galaxies Represent a Temporary