Program: GS-2004B-SV-22

We propose to use GNIRS + IFU to obtain H and K-band spectra of the centres of the late-type spiral galaxies NGC 300 and NGC 7793, which are located in the Sculptor Group. Spectra would also be obtained of two comparison objects: NGC 253 and the well-studied SMC cluster NGC 330. The data will be used to assess the relative ages of the galactic nuclei, based on the strengths of absorption and emission lines. If star formation in the nuclear regions of late-type galaxies is a continuous process, or has a short duty cycle, as is suggested by a number of lines of evidence, then the extinction-corrected properties of the nuclear spectra of these galaxies should be similar.