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D. V. Bowen, T. M. Tripp, E. B. Jenkins (Princeton Observatory)
Ground-based & HST imaging of the nearby galaxy SBS 1543+593 (z=0.009) shows that the galaxy is actually a Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxy with a central surface brightness of \muB(0) = 23.2 mag arcsec-2 and scale height 0.9 h-1 kpc, values typical for the local LSB galaxy population. The galaxy lies directly in front of the QSO HS 1543+593 (z=0.807); an HST STIS spectrum of the quasar reveals a damped Ly\alpha (DLy\alpha) line at the redshift of the interloper with an H I column density of \log N(H I) = 20.47, as well as several low-ionization metal lines with strengths similar to those found in the Milky Way interstellar medium. Our data show that LSB galaxies are certainly able to produce the DLy\alpha lines seen at higher redshift, and fuels the speculation that LSB galaxies are a major contributor to that population of absorbers.