Spatial population synthesis and emission line analysis of NGC 5253.

Detailed slit spectrophotometry in the range 3700 - 7200 Å is presented for the nucleus and seven different positions in NGC 5253. Population synthesis models show that NGC 5253 is highly composed in age and characterized by a strong gradient in the sense that the blue components become not only stronger but younger towards the center. The old population substratum is metal deficient [Z/Z₀] < -0.5. A similar abundance is derived for the gas with no spatial variations.