Abstract

Faint galaxy data are reviewed in the context of standard evolutionary models and our understanding of the statistical properties of galaxy populations. The differences in number magnitude counts from group to group can largely be understood via fluctuations induced by large scale clustering. However count slopes still present convincing arguments for an extra component of faint blue galaxies beyond B ∼21. Colours provide an useful tool in estimating redshift distributions but the uncertainties are large for the bluest galaxies of interest. However, new faint object redshift surveys are now underway and promise to determine definitively the nature of this extra component. We discuss preliminary results from one of these surveys. Neither distant luminous galaxies nor intrinsically faint nearby galaxies appear to be very numerous to B = 21.5. Many of the galaxies with 0.2 < z < 0.4 show spectral signatures of prominent star-formation. If such objects are somehow related to the excess counts, the traditional redshift-dependent evolutionary theory may require revision.

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