Astronomy › Section U · Evolution and distribution of galaxies › Topic U.2
Galaxy mergers and active nuclei
Galaxies are not isolated islands that age quietly. They collide, merge and swallow one another, and the black holes at their centres can switch star formation off, so both processes shape the galaxies we see today.
In this topic
- Galaxies that collide
- Why galaxies collide but stars rarely do
- Worked example: comparing the spacings
- Tails, bridges and rings
- Mergers and galactic cannibalism
- Starbursts
- Worked example: how long can a starburst last?
- Feeding the black hole
- AGN feedback
- Our own Galaxy's future
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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