We have cross-correlated Far Infrared ( IRAS ) and UV ( FOCA ) observations of galaxies to construct a sample of FIR selected galaxies with a UV observation at 0.2 \mu m . The FIR and UV properties of this sample are compared to the mean properties of the local Universe deduced from the luminosity distributions at both wavelengths .
Almost all the galaxies of our sample have a FIR to UV flux ratio larger than the ratio of the FIR and UV luminosity densities , this effect becoming worse as the galaxies become brighter : the increase of the UV ( 0.2 \mu m ) extinction is about 0.5 mag per decade of FIR ( 60 \mu m ) luminosity . Quantitative star formation rates are estimated by adding the contribution of the FIR and UV emissions .
They are found consistent with the corrections for extinction deduced from the FIR to UV flux ratio .
A total local volume-average star formation rate is calculated by summing the contribution of the FIR and UV wavelengths bands .
Each band contributes for an almost similar amount to the total star formation rate with \rho _ { SFR } = 0.03 \pm 0.01 ~ { } h \cdot M \odot / yr / Mpc ^ { 3 } at z=0 .
This is equivalent to a global extinction of 0.75 mag to apply to the local luminosity density at 0.2 \mu m . The trend of a larger FIR to UV flux ratio for a larger FIR luminosity found for our sample of nearby galaxies is extended and amplified toward the very large FIR luminosities when we consider the galaxies detected by ISOCAM in a CFRS field and the Ultra Luminous Infrared Galaxies at low and high redshift .
A UV extinction is tentatively estimated for these objects .