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Stellar Populations in the Outskirts of M31: The View from HST

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The Impact of HST on European Astronomy

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings ((ASSSP))

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Abstract

M31, our nearest large galactic neighbour, offers an opportunity to study in superb detail the processes which drive the formation and evolution of spiral galaxies. Over the last decade, our view of this oft-considered quiescent system has been revolutionized as a result of wide-field photometric and spectroscopic surveys from the ground, as well as deep pencil beam studies with HST. These studies, which have probed the galaxy to unprecedented surface brightness levels and established the outer stellar boundary to be at least ∼150 kpc, reveal that M31 has had a much more violent history than previously thought, having devoured at least one moderate-sized luminous satellite in the recent past. I review here some key results, focusing on the particular role that HST has played.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH9 3HJ, UK

    Annette M. N. Ferguson

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  1. Annette M. N. Ferguson
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Correspondence to Annette M. N. Ferguson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. (STSCI), Space Telescope Science Institute, San Martin Dr. 3700, Baltimore, 21218, U.S.A.

    F. Duccio Macchetto

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Ferguson, A.M.N. (2010). Stellar Populations in the Outskirts of M31: The View from HST. In: Macchetto, F. (eds) The Impact of HST on European Astronomy. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3400-7_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3400-7_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-3399-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-90-481-3400-7

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