Two UV colours of the central part of M 31

Two photographs of the galaxy M 31 have been obtained in the far UV with a Faust rocket experiment and in the near UV with the S 183 experiment aboard Skylab. Only the central part of the galaxy is detected. Reductions provide both the energy received and the angular area over M 31 from which it is emitted. The UV flux is brighter than expected from extrapolation of the visible spectrum. The distribution below 300 A is rather flat and different from previous OAO-2 observations. These results, combined with Lyman continuum flux evaluation, are used to discuss the temperature and the age of the stars which may be responsible for this anomalous UV distribution.