Why do the spiral arms of a galaxy appear bright blue?
Answer
The presence of hot, young stars
Spiral arms are areas of high activity where star formation is actively occurring. These regions contain plentiful gas and dust, which act as the raw material for creating new stars. These newly formed stars are typically massive and extremely hot, causing them to shine with a bright blue light, which gives the spiral arms their distinct coloration.

#Videos
Types of Galaxies in Space - Spiral, Elliptical, Irregular plus more
Related Questions
What diagram illustrates the Hubble Sequence for classifying galaxies?Why do elliptical galaxies typically exhibit a soft yellow-red hue?What structural component sits at the center of a spiral galaxy?What feature distinguishes a barred spiral galaxy from a standard spiral?Which galaxy type represents the transition between elliptical and spiral galaxies?What usually causes galaxies to have an irregular, asymmetric shape?Why do the spiral arms of a galaxy appear bright blue?How can an observer identify an elliptical galaxy through a telescope?What is the classification of the Milky Way galaxy?What process might cause a spiral galaxy to eventually become an elliptical galaxy?