3C 273
Quick Summary
3C 273 is a quasar, an extremely luminous astronomical object found at the centers of some galaxies. Discovered in the early 1960s, quasars were initially identified as powerful radio sources with optical images resembling stars. The significant redshift of 3C 273's spectral lines indicated it was moving away at a very high velocity, suggesting it was incredibly distant and luminous.12
Quasars are now understood to be powered by gas spiraling into a supermassive black hole. Despite being very small, about the size of our solar system, a quasar can emit up to 100 times more radiation than an entire galaxy. Their brightness can vary rapidly, indicating their compact nature. Quasars are considered extreme examples of active galactic nuclei and were more common in the early universe.12
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quasarDiscovery of quasars…pattern of emission lines in 3C 273, the brightest known quasar, could be understood as coming from hydrogen atoms that had a redshift (i.e., had their emission lines shifted toward longer, redder wavelengths by the expansion of the universe) of 0.158. In other words, the wavelength of each line was…
Read More…pattern of emission lines in 3C 273, the brightest known quasar, could be understood as coming from hydrogen atoms that had a redshift (i.e., had their emission lines shifted toward longer, redder wavelengths by the expansion of the universe) of 0.158. In other words, the wavelength of each line was…
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galaxyQuasars…similar but optically brighter object, 3C 273, was examined in 1963. Investigators noticed that 3C 273 had a normal spectrum with the same emission lines as observed in radio galaxies, though greatly redshifted (i.e., the spectral lines are displaced to longer wavelengths), as by the Doppler effect. If the redshift…
Read More…similar but optically brighter object, 3C 273, was examined in 1963. Investigators noticed that 3C 273 had a normal spectrum with the same emission lines as observed in radio galaxies, though greatly redshifted (i.e., the spectral lines are displaced to longer wavelengths), as by the Doppler effect. If the redshift…
Read More