What stellar population dominates the light output of an elliptical galaxy?
Answer
Older, cooler, redder stars
Elliptical galaxies are fundamentally defined by the age distribution of their stellar inhabitants, containing a much greater proportion of older stars compared to spiral galaxies. Young, massive stars burn their fuel quickly and emit intense blue light. Since elliptical galaxies have largely ceased new star birth due to a lack of cold gas, these blue stars are absent. Consequently, the overall light output is dominated by the older, cooler stellar population, which emits light primarily in the red and yellow parts of the spectrum, leading to their colloquial description as red and dead systems.
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