Ages and metallicities of m31 star clusters

Abstract

We present spectrophotometric data for 7 globular clusters and 2 open clusters in M31. The wide wavelength range available allows one to derive with confidence reddening, metallicity and age. It appears that the foreground and internal reddening are lower than those indicated by previous studies. Evidence of metal content comparable to that in the strongest-lined nuclei of elliptical galaxies is found for the clusters G 158 and G 177, which lie at projected distances less than 1.5 kpc from the galaxy nucleus. The other star clusters show spectral properties similar to those already observed in their Milky Way counterparts of comparable metallicity. The luminous open clusters that we have observed are younger than 30 Myr.