T h e S T C ( S e ie n tifie T e e h n ie a l C o m m itte e ) m e t a tL a S illa th e 8 th a n d 9 tho fO e to b e r. F o llo w in g th e m e e tin g , a 3 - d a y - lo n g trip to n o rth e rn C h ile b ro u g h t th e S T C m e m b e rs (F ig .1 )to a n d a b o v e a fe w

p ie k e d u pa sp o te n tia lly in te re s tin gs p o tsb yA . A rd e b e rg d u rin g h is e x p lo ra to ry s u rv e y o f1 9 8 3 /8 4 .

a n d a lth o u g h th e s p a e e a v a ila b le w o u ld b e q u ite s u ftie ie n t fo r th e V LT ,th e re

b o rd e r, n o rth -e a s t o f S a n P e d ro d 'A ta e a m a , is rie ho fv e r y h ig h e le v a tio n v o le a n o s ; a 3 \ue000 h o u r rid e fro m

e le v a tio n w o u ld p r o b a b ly b e q u ite a d v e n tu r o u s ,b u t th e fu n d a \ue000 m e n ta l p r o b le m re m a in s th e d e te rm in a tio no fth e v a lu e o fs u e h s ite s w ith r e s p e e t t o L a S illa a n d o t h e r e x e e lle n t s ite s s u e h a s M auna Kea.

th e h u m a n p o in to fv ie w . S u e h s ite s e a n b e fo u n dinth e v ie in ityo f th e h ig h v o le a n o s , in th e e e n tr a l e h a in w e s to f S a n P e d r o , a n d a ls o e a s to fL a S illa . N one

A fte r th e e o m p le tio n o f th e in itia l e x p lo r a to r y s u rv e y , s ta rte d in 1 9 8 3 b y A rn e A rd e b e rg , a la rg e r s e a le p ro g ra m m e o f in v e s ti\ue000 g a tio n is b e in g d e fin e d .

A d e d ie a te d w o r k in g g r o u p e o m p o s e do fE u ro p e a n e x p e rts in th e fie ld h a s b e e n s e t u p a n d w ill is s u e r e e o m m e n d a tio n s . A u to m a tie m e te o r o lo g ie s ta tio n s h a v e a lre a d y b e e n in s ta lle d a t P a ra n a l a n d a t L a S illa ; a th ir d s ta tio n w ill b e in s ta lle d a t o n e

w h ites p o ta t th e r ig h t h a n do fth es u m m it isa s h e lte r u s e db y th e tw o p e rs o n s w h o m o n ito r th e s ite .T h er id g e is fa e in g th e p r e v a ilin g w in d d ire e tio na n dis a b o u t

h ig h e le v a tio n s itein D e c e m b e r . T h e y w ill p r o v id e e a s y p r o \ue000 c e s s a b le d a ta th a t w ill c o m p le m e n t th e d a ta c o lle c te d s in c e S e p te m b e r 1 9 8 3 . A te th e r e d b a llo o n w ill a ls o p e r m it to m e a \ue000 s u re th e tu rb u le n c ea s w e ila s o th e r m e te o ro lo g ie p a ra m e te rs , b e tw e e n 0 a n d 8 0 0 m

a b o v e s ite s . T h is e q u ip m e n tis e a s ily tr a n s p o r ta b le a n d s h o u ld p e r m it a p re lim in a ry in v e s tig a tio n o f th e lo c a l c o n tr ib u tio n to s e e in g . M o re p e rm a n e n t e q u ip m e n t, s u c h

te le s c o p e p r o je c tsa s w e ila s th e p e r s p e c tiv e fo r im p r o v in g th e im a g e q u a lity th ro u g h a d a p tiv e c o rre c tio n h a v e ra is e d u p c o n s id e r \ue000 a b le e ffo rts b y s e v e ra l g ro u p s to b e tte r u n d e rs ta n d th e c a u s e s o f s e e in g d e te r io r a tio n , a n d p o s s ib ly fin d

e u re s . D e s p ite th e d iffic u lty o f c o m p a r in g q u a n tita tiv e ly re s u lts o b ta in e d b y d iffe \ue000 re n t m e th o d sa td iffe r e n t p la c e s , itis h o p e d th a t w ith in 2 to

n u m b e r o f s te lla r o b je c ts w ith fu z z y im a g e s w e re d is c o v e r e d o np h o to g r a p h ie p la te s o b ta in e d w ith th e in s tru m e n t. S u b s e \ue000 q u e n t s p e c tro s c o p ic

b y th e ir s te lla r a p p e a r a n c e a n d b y d e m a n d in g th a t th e ir s u rfa c e lu m in o s ity s h o u ldb e b r ig h te r th a n2 0

Ify o u w is h to re c e iv e th e P r o c e e d in g s , p le a s e s e n d y o u r c h e q u e toE S O ,F in a n c ia l S e r v ic e s , K a r l- S c h w a r z s c h ild \ue000 S tr.2 ,0 - 8 0 4 6 G a rc h in g b e i M \u00fc n c h e n , o r tra n s fe r th e a m o u n t to

q u e n c e o f its r e la tiv e ly s m a ll a p p a r e n t d im e n s io n sa n dits h ig h s u rfa c e b rig h tn e s s , w h ic h p ro d u c e o v e re x p o s e d im a g e so n th e p h o to g r a p h ic s u rv e y p la te s . U s in g la rg e r in s tru m e n ts o n e c a n re s o lv e th e im a g e s o f th e s e o b je c ts a n d b e g in tos e esom e v e ry in te re s tin g s tru c tu re s .

th e b lu e lig h t o f th e g a la x y . T h e k n o ts s u r r o u n d in g th e c e n tra l "blob" m ayb eg ia n t HII re g io n s o r s ta r c lu s te rs . A m u c h la rg e r d y n a m ic a l ra n g eisa v a ila b le if o n e u s e s aC C O c a m e r aa sin

d iv is io n b e tw e e n tw oC C Ofra m e s , o n e o b ta in e d th ro u g h a b ro a d b a n d filte r c e n tre do nH a a n d th e o th e r th ro u g ha n in fra re d filte r c e n tre do n -

b o th g a s a n d s ta rs , w h ile th e in fra re d im a g eis e n tire ly d o m in a te d b y s ta rlig h t, th e re s u ltin g im a g e w ill s h o w , m a in ly th r o u g h th e s tr e n g th o f H aa scom \ue000 p a re dtoth e s te lla r c o n tin u u m , r e g io n s w h e re th e g a s e o u s e m is s io n , a n d th u s p r o b a b ly a ls o th e s ta r - fo r m in g a c tiv ity , is m o s t in te n s e . A s w e c a ns e e ,a v e ry in te re s tin g s tru c tu re a p p e a rs , c o n s is tin g

h o t s p o ts o f s ta r fo rm a tio n e n c lo s in g th e c e n tre .W e a ls o s e e a s tr u c tu r e re m in d in g o f a s p ira l a rm , s tre tc h in g o u t to w a r d s th e e a s t.Itis te m p tin g to in te rp re t th e o b s e rv a tio n sinte r m so f a c o lla p s in g a g g lo m e r a \ue000 tio n o f H I c lo u d s w h ic h a re b e in g s h o c k e do nth e ir w a y to w a r d s th e g ra v ita tio n a l c e n tre , th e re b y trig g e rin g th e s p e c \ue000 ta c u la r b u rs t o f s ta r fo rm a tio n w ea ren o w w itn e s s in g . T h is is w h a t a y o u n g g a la x y s h o u ld lo o k lik e !

T h e in fra re d im a g e , h o w e v e r, lo o k s s tr ik in g ly d iffe r e n t w ith its re g u la r is o p h o te s , m o r e r e m in d in g o fa no ld g a la x y .It a ls o h a s a lu m in o s ity p r o file w h ic histy p ic a l o f o ld s te lla r s y s te m s .

tra d itio n a l o b s e rv a tio n a l m e th o d s . P a ra lle l to th e o b s e rv a tio n s w ea rea ls o d e v e lo p in g s y n th e tic m o d e ls o f c o lo u r e v o lu tio no fg a la x ie sa s a fu n c tio n o f tim e , b a s e do n e v o lu tio n a r y tr a c k so f s ta rs o f lo w m e ta llic ity . T h e p u r p o s eis to c o m p a re o u r o b s e rv e d c o lo u rs w ith th o s e o b ta in e d fro m th e m o d e ls a n d th u s b e a b le to d e te r m in e th e a g e o f th e o b s e rv e d B C G s (fo r a t le a s t th e o n g o in g b u rs t) a n d to d e riv e in fo r m a tio n a b o u t th e ir s te lla r m a s s fu n c tio n . T h e s e m o d e ls w ill b e fu r th e r d is c u s s e d b e lo w .

re g io n s , q u a s a rs , a n d s tr ip p e d - o ff d w a r f e llip tic a ls . T h is h e te ro g e \ue000 n e o u s n a tu re

p o s itio n s o f5 2 C G sin th e s o u th e rn h e m is p h e re ,a llo b s e rv e d b y th e U p p s a la g ro u p . T h e m a jo ritya reg a th e re d w ith in th e re c ta n g u la r b o x w h e re " n o r \ue000 m a l g a la x ie s "a refo u n d . H o w e v e r, s o m e o f th e s e g a la x ie s s h o w c o lo u rs th a ta reu n u s u a lly b lu e(u p a n d to w a r d s th e le ftin th e d ia g ra m ).B y fa r th e b lu e s tin o u r s a m p ieisE S O 3 3 8 - IG 0 4 (B -V=-0 .0 8 ,U -B =- 0 .6 2 , e x tin c tio n c o rre c te d ).In fa c t, th is o b je c t p r o v e s t o b e o n e o f th e b lu e s t g a la x ie s e v e r fo u n d .

T w o d e c a d e s a g a little w a s k n o w n a b o u t th e s e e x tre m e c a s e s . T h e re fo re , a n e w b ra n c h o f e x tra g a la c tic a s tro n o m y w a s d e v e lo p e d : th e s tu d y o f b lu e c o m p a c t g a la x ie s(B C G s ). T h e b lu e lig h tis a c o n s e q u e n c e o f th e h ig h p r o p o r tio n o f y o u n g s ta rsinth e g a la x ie s , a n d ins o m e c a s e sn o o ld s ta rs a ta ll c a n b e d e fin ite ly d e te c te d . A m o n g o th e r p ro p e rtie s o f th e B C G s a reth e ir ric h n e s sin g a s a n d th e ir s tr o n g d e fic ie n c y o f e le \ue000 m e n ts h e a v ie r th a n h e liu m , w h e n c o m p a r e d to g a la c tic HII re g io n s . T h e re fo re , a fu n d a m e n ta l q u e s tio nis w h e th e r th e s e g a la x ie s a re tr u ly y o u n g . A lte r n a tiv e ly , th e y m a y b e o ld g a la x \ue000 ie s w h ic h o c c a s io n a lly g o th r o u g h s h o r t b u r s ts o f in te n s e s ta r fo rm a tio n . S u c h a s itu a tio n is p r e d ic te d b y th e s to c h a s tic s ta r fo rm a tio n th e o ry (G e ro la e t a l., 1 9 8 0 ,A s tro p h y s ic a l J o u rn a l

o f th e b lu e s t c o m p a c ts b y m e a n s o f o b s e r v a tio n sinth e w a v e le n g th re g io n fro m th e u ltr a v io le t t o th e in fra re d . B e s id e s th e

h a v e , fo r a la rg e s a m p ie , o b ta in e d s p e c tr a o f th e c e n tra l re g io n s , m a in ly b y u s e o fth e

O is s e c t o r S c a n n e r a tL a S illa . T h e s e s h o w e m is s io n - lin e s a n d re s e m b le s p e c tr a o f HIIre g io n s s u p e r\ue000 p o s e do na nu n d e r ly in g s te lla r p o p u la tio n . T h e a v a ila b ility o f C C Od e te c to rs d u rin g th e la s t y e a rs h a s b ro u g h t n e w in s ig h ts in to th e m y s te r y o f B C G s a n d h a s re v e a le d p e c u lia r itie s w ith in th e s e o b je c ts th a t w e n e v e r w o u ld h a v e b e e n a b le to d is c o v e r th ro u g h