Here’s what the first hits on a Google search for “appeal to authority” say (top list, no hit was omitted).
This fallacy is committed when the person in question is not a legitimate authority on the subject. […] The following standards are widely accepted:
- The person has sufficient expertise in the subject matter in question.
- The claim being made by the person is within her area(s) of expertise.
- There is an adequate degree of agreement among the other experts in the subject in question.