Evolution of the Stars and Gas in Galaxies

Abstract

Essentially everything of astronomical interest is either part of a galaxy, or from a galaxy, or otherwise relevant to the origin or evolution of galaxies. Diverse examples are that the isotropic composition of meteorites provides clues to the history of star formation billions of years ago, and cosmological tests for the deceleration of the Universe are strongly affected by changes in the luminosities of galaxies during the lookback time sampled. The aim of this article is to review some of the vital connections that galaxy evolution makes among many astronomical phenomena.