Stellar Populations in M31 from Broad-band Photometry

Due to its proximity, size, complex structure and high inclination angle, M31 offers an excellent opportunity for studying galactic structures outside the Milky Way and for drawing implications for their cosmological origin. We have studied the stellar populations of M 31 using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometry and the Spitzer far-infrared (FIR) mappings of dust. Combining these data, we have constructed a 3-dimensional model of the galaxy, laying constraints on the intrinsic (dust-free) properties of the galaxy and its stellar populations: their apparent and intrinsic luminosities, luminosity distributions, colours, shapes and sizes. We have interpreted the derived spectral energy distributions with synthetic stellar populations created with the Starburst99 software, in order to constrain the ages and masses of the stellar components.