Latitudinal anisotropy of the solar far ultraviolet flux

We estimate the anisotropy of the solar full disk flux in the far ultraviolet which would be observed for lines of sight within ( vertical stroke vertical stroke) and above (perpendicular to) the ecliptic plane, arising from the predominent occurrence of plages at low heliocentric latitudes. For Lα the flux anisotropy Fsub(perpend. to)/Fsub(vert. stroke) vertical stroke at a level of solar activity with sunspot number Rsub(Z)approx. equal to160 approximately 0.88 for the integrated flux over the Lα profile and 0.83 for the flux at line center. We examine the effect of this Lα flux anisotropy on the Lα sky background intensity resonantly backscattered from the local interstellar medium streaming through the solar system. During periods of moderate to high solar activity the solar Lα anisotropy should be included in models of the interplanetary background. (orig.)