WHAT IS A PECULIAR GALAXY

Following the recent surge of interest in peculiar galaxies at high re dshifts we consider the definition, or lack thereof, of morphological peculiarities on a sample of local Universe galaxies. Studying the mor phology of local Universe galaxies is also of interest in trying to un derstand galaxy dynamics and in quantifying the relations between morp hology and environment. We use classifications given by five experts f or a sample of 827 galaxies taken from the automated plate measuring ( APM) machine equatorial catalogue and find that there is little agreem ent between them on what qualifies as a peculiar galaxy. We attempt se veral objective approaches: matching galaxy images to 'templates'; exa mining the 180 degrees asymmetry against light concentration (followin g Abraham et al.); and exploring angle-dependent asymmetry measures. W hile none of the quantities we use results in a clean distinction betw een normal and peculiar galaxies, there is a rough correlation between some parameters and image peculiarity. However, the mixing between th e two classes is significant. We conclude that the class of peculiar g alaxies is not totally distinct from the class of normal galaxies, and that what we are seeing is really a sequence. It is therefore more us eful to consider distribution functions of morphological parameters. T he current (and possibly other, more accurate) parametrizations requir e better data, which are becoming available through CCD imaging.