"Red Geyser" Galaxies Have Plenty of Star-Forming Gas But Don't Form Stars

These illustrations show what happens to prevent Red Geyser galaxies from forming new stars. Mergers can send clouds of cool gas toward a galaxy's center. The gas can feed the galaxy's black hole so that the black hole's feedback heats up the gas. Hot gas is the enemy of star formation, so despite having plenty of gas, Red Geysers are quenched. Image Credit: UC Santa Cruz

Red Geysers are an unusual class of galaxy that contain only old stars. Despite having plenty of star-forming gas, Red Geysers are quenched. Astronomers have mapped the flow of gas in these galaxies and figure out why they're dormant.

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