What has been the evolution of elliptical galaxies?

Elliptical galaxies are dim collections of older stars, so they don't shine as brightly as spiral galaxies. ... The Galaxy Evolution Explorer data was taken in December 2003. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ ... If fewer elliptical galaxies have been spotted, why do astronomers think they dominate? read more

Elliptical galaxies have two main stages of evolution. The first is due to the supermassive black hole growing by accreting cooling gas. The second stage is marked by the black hole stabilizing by suppressing gas cooling, thus leaving the elliptical galaxy in a stable state. read more

Elliptical galaxies, or the bulges of spirals, are popular tests of synthesis models, since they are assumed to have had most of their stars formed in a short period long ago, and undergone changes due only to stellar evolution since then (the condition of passive evolution). read more

Because elliptical galaxies contain older stars and less gas, scientists think that they are nearing the end of the evolution line for galaxies. The universe is a violent place, and collisions between galaxies are frequent — indeed, the Milky Way is due to crash into the Andromeda Galaxy in a few billion years. read more