Abstract
The Andromeda galaxy (M31), which harbors the nearest LINER and the closest stellar bulge accessible in the optical, is a unique laboratory for studying the physical regulation of galactic nuclei, and in turn the co-evolution of super-massive black holes and their host galaxies. In this talk, I will give an observational overview of the stellar and interstellar components that together define the circumnuclear environment in M31. I will also report our recent work based on multi-band HST imaging of this environment, which provide new and exciting evidence for a steep extinction law, an intermediate-age stellar population, as well as hundreds of planetary nebulae.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend.