COLOR GRADIENTS OF EXTERNAL GALAXIES

We present (U-B) and (U-V) radial color distributions of 103 galaxies based on the UBV multiaperture photometry compiled by Longo, de Vaucouleurs, and Corwin (1983). About half of the galaxies show radial negative color gradients (i. e., bluer at the outer parts of the galaxies). E and SO galaxies have similar color gradients. and there appears to be no correlation between the size of color gradients in these galaxies and their luminosity, but the luminous spiral galaxies tend to have steeper color gradients. The metallicity gradients of elliptical galaxies derived from the (U-V) color gradients agree with those from the magnesium gradients within the errors.