What visual characteristic of elliptical galaxies signals that their stellar census is heavily skewed toward old stars?
Answer
A distinct reddish or yellowish tint
Since the massive, hot blue stars burn out quickly, elliptical galaxies are dominated by longer-lived, cooler red and yellow stars, which dictates their overall observed color through telescopes.
Related Questions
Which galaxy type overwhelmingly houses the most ancient stellar populations?What scale is used by astronomers to classify the morphological shape of elliptical galaxies?What structural component of a spiral galaxy serves as the cosmic nursery rich in raw materials for star birth?What visual characteristic of elliptical galaxies signals that their stellar census is heavily skewed toward old stars?What major event often triggers the rapid consumption of gas that results in a quiescent elliptical galaxy following a merger of two spirals?How do young, massive stars within the spiral arms affect the overall perceived age of light emitted by a spiral galaxy?Which mechanism can effectively prevent gas from cooling enough to form new stars in large elliptical galaxies, locking them into an old-star dominated state?Where are elliptical galaxies typically found to be more common when compared to the environments favored by spiral galaxies?What process leads to the massive size and extreme gas depletion observed in the largest elliptical galaxies?What term describes the defining difference between elliptical galaxies and spiral galaxies concerning star birth?