A galaxy that was once a quasar is likely to:
A)have burned all its fuel by now and be dark.
B)now be a dwarf irregular.
C)have a black hole at its nucleus.
D)still be a quasar.
E)be less than 5 billion years old.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A quasar is powered by a supermassive black hole at its nucleus. If the galaxy was once a quasar, it means it had an active black hole. Even if the quasar phase has ended, the black hole is likely to remain at the center of the galaxy. Therefore, the most likely scenario is that the galaxy still has a black hole at its nucleus. A quasar is a galaxy with an active supermassive black hole at its center. As the black hole consumes matter, it emits huge amounts of energy, making the galaxy very bright. After some time, the amount of matter in the vicinity of the black hole decreases, and the quasar becomes dormant. However, the black hole remains at the center of the galaxy, and its gravity can still influence the movement of stars and gas in the galaxy. Therefore, a galaxy that was once a quasar is likely to still have a black hole at its nucleus.

A Galaxy That Was Once a Quasar Is Likely To