Abstract
An overview is given of the star formation characteristics of the Andromeda galaxy, as derived from various surveys of the Population I material. Particular attention is given to the analysis of infrared data. The contribution to the infrared emission of dust in diffuse HI clouds, heated by the interstellar radiation field, is significant. Observations of other spirals are consistent with this, as is shown by application of a simple model of the heating of dust in diffuse HI clouds, to infrared measurements of galaxies in the Virgo cluster. The star formation rate in M31, calculated in several independent ways, is between 0.2 and 0.5 Mq per year, which is a factor ten lower than in the Galaxy. Comparison of the main star forming regions of the two galaxies shows that the HI surface densities are comparable, while the molecular gas surface densities in M31 are about 2.5 times lower. A brief discussion is given of some individual objects and of the relation between star formation and gas content. However, the data are still too limited to determine to what extent the difference in global star formation characteristics is reflected in the properties of individual objects.
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