The Formation of Galactic Bulges

Abstract

We summarise some recent results about nearby galactic bulges that are relevant to their formation. We highlight a number of significant advances in our understanding of the surface brightness profiles, stellar populations, and especially the very centers of spiral galaxies. We also view our own Milky Way as if it were an external galaxy. Our main conclusions are that bulges of early-type spirals (S0 -- Sb) contain central nuclear components, just like late-type spirals and most other types of galaxies. The luminosities of these central components correlate best with total bulge luminosity, and not as well with morphological type. Bulges of early-type spiral galaxies follow the fundamental plane and the colour/line strength vs. luminosity relations of elliptical galaxies. Although we have a reasonable idea about bulges of early-type spirals we know much less about late-type bulges. However, the close resemblance of our Milky Way Bulge to bulges in external disk galaxies makes us suspect that bulges of late-type spirals might be very similar as well.