Question

An elliptical galaxy contains mostly what kind of stars?

1) stars of all ages, but all metal-poor
2) primarily young, metal-rich stars
3) primarily old, metal-poor stars
4) stars of all ages, from young, metal-rich stars to old, metal-poor stars

Answer 1

Elliptical galaxies primarily consist of old, metal-poor stars (population II stars), with very little interstellar matter and no ongoing star formation.

Step-by-step explanation:

An elliptical galaxy primarily contains old, metal-poor stars, known as population II stars. These stars dominate the light of elliptical galaxies. Elliptical galaxies are characterized by their spheroidal or ellipsoidal shapes with no trace of spiral arms, and are often filled with many globular clusters.

Unlike spiral galaxies, which have ongoing star formation, elliptical galaxies have very little interstellar matter and no new star formation, as most of their gas was converted into stars billions of years ago. Therefore, elliptical galaxies mainly consist of an older stellar population, with their massive stars already having completed their evolution.