  The impact of the lateral distribution of light in extensive air showers on
the detection and reconstruction of shower profiles is investigated for the
Auger fluorescence telescopes. Based on three-dimensional simulations, the
capability of the Auger telescopes to measure the lateral distribution of light
is evaluated. The ability to infer the actual lateral distribution is confirmed
by the comparison of detailed simulations with real data. The contribution of
pixels located far from the axis of the shower image is calculated and the
accepted signal is rescaled in order to reconstruct a correct shower profile.
The analysis presented here shows that: (a) the Auger telescopes are able to
observe the lateral distribution of showers and (b) the energy corrections to
account for the signal in outlying pixels can exceed 10%, depending on shower
geometry.
