3C 273 Quasar

3C 273 is the first identified and optically brightest quasar, the super bright nucleus of an “active” galaxy.
UPDATED JUN 26, 2024
a quasar in space
a quasar in space

Quasars are puzzling and enigmatic radio sources, believed to be the most brilliant single objects in the universe.

The quasar story began in the early 1960s, when the position of a strong radio source was defined with great accuracy, and its angular diameter was found to be less than one arcsecond. The object’s redshift of the spectral lines indicated a distance of 3,000 million light-years, and it followed that the total luminosity was much greater than that of an average galaxy, even though the appearance was exactly like that of a star.

To astronomers, it became clear that they were dealing with an object of entirely new type, and called it quasi-stellar radio source. This name has since been shortened to the term quasar.

3C 273 is the first identified and optically brightest quasar, the super bright nucleus of an “active” galaxy. It is visible with an 8-inch telescope from a dark-sky site, about 5 degrees northwest from Gamma Virginis. The object lies approximately 2,600 million light-years away, and through the telescope it appears like a faint star, with a magnitude that varies between 12 and 13.3.

To locate 3C 273, use the finder map below, that sows a small portion of the constellation Virgo. After you become familiar with the star field inside the red rectangle, switch to the lower-scale map. The quasar’s position is marked with a small circle, close to a 13.4 magnitude star that should be visible with a 8-inch scope.

MORE STORIES

By studying younger stars, this discovery provides a cosmic crystal ball to predict dangerous space weather events, helping to protect our technology.
19 hours ago
When they were first spotted in 2022, these tiny red dots were nicknamed 'universe breakers.'
20 hours ago
While astronomers were observing Quaoar on June 25, 2025, a solid object unexpectedly blocked out the starlight for 1.23 seconds.
1 day ago
A groundbreaking study has not only solved the longstanding mystery of how ancient stellar systems form but has also revealed an entirely new class of object in the Milky Way.
1 day ago
The greedy white dwarf star in question is the V Sagittae, which is a highly luminous binary star and is found eating its larger twin.
3 days ago
This dwarf planet is the second trans-Neptunian object with a confirmed presence of gas.
4 days ago
A peculiar object is helping astronomers explain why a common element remained undetected in the Jupiter and Saturn atmospheres.
4 days ago
The findings would help astronomers learn more about the formation and evolution of dwarf galaxies, particularly the ones that have been isolated from their original groups.
5 days ago
Astronomers have found a newly identified system, unofficially named 'JWST's Quintet,' where at least five galaxies and 17 star-forming clumps are merging.
7 days ago
The satellite found two rocky exoplanets comparable to Earth in size, orbiting a nearby K-type star, as candidates for its mission.
Sep 6, 2025