Recent Star Formation History of M31 and M33

We studied recent evolution of M31 and M33 with star-forming regions and hot massive stars. We use GALEX far-UV and near-UV imaging to detect the star-forming regions and trace the recent star formation across the entire disk of galaxies. The GALEX imaging, combining deep sensitivity and entire coverage of these galaxies, provides a complete picture of the recent star formation in M31 and M33, and its variation with environment throughout these galaxies. We also show results from recent extensive surveys in M31 and M33 with Hubble Space Telescope multi-wavelength data including UV filters, which imaged several regions at a linear resolution of less than half a pc in these galaxies. Both datasets allow us to study the hierarchical structure of star formation: the youngest stellar groups are the most compact, and are often arranged withing broader, sparser structures. The derived recent star-formation rates are rather similar for the two galaxies, when scaled for the respective areas.