2006/10/30 by A. -L. Melchior, A.-L. Melchior, F. Combes +1 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Brightness #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Homogeneous #Infrared #Milky Way #Neighbourhood (mathematics) #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Surface brightness #Surface brightness fluctuation #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066188
27 pages (including 13 pages of appendices), 45 figures; accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
arxiv created 2006/10/30 · openalex publication_date 2006/11/13 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present a new determination of the surface brightness of our Galaxy at the Solar Neighbourhood as observed from outside the Galaxy. We rely on various existing optical and infra-red surveys to obtain a multiwavelength estimate. On the one hand, scattered light does not contribute significantly to the surface brightness. On the other hand, optical and infrared integrated all-sky surveys (Pioneer 10/11 and COBE/DIRBE) show a systematically larger value than our synthetic local estimate based on Hipparcos data. This local estimate is also compatible with our Galactic simulations normalised at the Solar Neighbourhood and assuming a homogeneous stellar distribution. We interpret this disagreement as a signature of the presence of a local minimum of the stellar density compatible with Gould's belt. According to this result, the global luminosity of the Milky Way should follow the Tully-Fisher relation established for external galaxies.