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During the Astro-2 mission, the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) obtained deep far-UV (FUV: 1200-1800\AA) images of about 30 interacting, starburst, and/or active galaxies. These images are presented and compared with observations at other wavelengths to determine the recent star formation activity and the interaction history of the systems.
``Non-normal'' galaxies observed by UIT represent a range of object types and sample a variety of environments. FUV studies of interacting systems (e.g. M51/NGC~5195, NGC~4038/4039) will allow measures of interaction-triggered star formation. FUV observations of nuclear starbursts (e.g. NGC~5236(M83), NGC~1097, NGC~2903) or galaxy-dominating starbursts (e.g. NGC~3310, NGC~4214) will provide new insight into star formation rates and IMF's in these systems. FUV imaging of a variety of active galaxies (e.g. Cen-A, NGC~4151, NGC~1566) will lead to a better understanding of the role an AGN plays in a galaxy's star-forming history and vice-versa.
The UIT images are wide-field (40 arcmin diameter), high sensitivity ($\sim$ 1\dexp{-18} \flx, or m$_{FUV} \sim$24 arcsec$^{-2}$, averaged over the 225-400\AA~bandpasses), and high resolution ($\sim$3~arcsec FWHM). Most images were obtained in the UIT ``B1'' bandpass ($\sim 1250 - 1800$\AA); some systems were also imaged in the ``B5'' filter ($\sim 1400 - 1800$\AA). In addition to isolating current massive-star-forming regions in these systems, the UIT images map the spatial distribution of strong emission features such as the hydrogen two-photon continuum, CIV 1549\AA~ and redshifted Ly$\alpha$ emission lines.