2009BaltA..18..383N

The Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS) is accessible on a dedicated web site at the Department of Physics of La Sapienza University. It covers about 17000 square degrees and provides low resolution spectra of sources down to B = 16.5 mag. Both the digitized plates and the automatically extracted spectra can be retrieved. We present the main characteristics of the spectra and their relevance as proxies for the low dispersion spectra which will be provided by the forthcoming Gaia mission. Detectability of spectral features, overall spectral energy distribution and accuracy of the photometric information is briefly discussed.