A starburst galaxy is like a big city with LOTS of bright lights!
You know how when people throw parties, the lights get turned up and everything gets really exciting? Well, a starburst galaxy is sort of like a party in space where lots of new stars are being born very quickly!
In normal galaxies, stars are born at a steady pace, but starburst galaxies are special because they have a HUGE increase in new stars being born all at once. This is kind of like if your mom and dad suddenly had 10 babies all at the same time!
When new stars are born, they produce a lot of light and heat. This makes the galaxy really bright and hot. Remember how I said it's like a big city with lots of lights? Well, these bright new stars are the lights, and they shine really brightly, making the starburst galaxy look like a big glowing ball in space!
Scientists study starburst galaxies because they want to learn more about how new stars are born and what happens when there are LOTS of stars all together in one place. It's kind of like studying a really cool and exciting party!