Where does high star formation activity occur in Spiral galaxies?
Answer
Within the prominent spiral arms
Spiral galaxies, such as the Milky Way and Andromeda, maintain high levels of star formation activity specifically within their distinct, flat rotating disks where prominent spiral arms are found. These arms serve as active nurseries of the cosmos because they are the precise locations where clouds of interstellar gas and dust are compressed. This compression triggers the necessary conditions for gravitational collapse, allowing for the sustained creation of new stellar generations. This mechanism contrasts sharply with elliptical galaxies where the fuel supply is largely absent or too hot to collapse effectively.
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