Astronauts
Astronomy
Constellation
Deep Sky Objects
Moon
Stargazing
Telescope
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Accuracy & Corrections Terms & Condition
COPYRIGHT. All contents of on the site comporting the Starlust branding are Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.
STARLUST.ORG / DEEP SKY OBJECTS

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 ON Starlust
On July 20, the crescent moon will approach within a degree of the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters, creating a stunning visual.
1 day ago
The pioneering project is set to transform our understanding of the Sun's mysterious interior.
2 days ago
Some theories suggest that our sun was in a similar state before the planets were all formed.
5 days ago
Discovered on July 1, the celestial body 3I/ATLAS is currently approaching Earth from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
5 days ago
Historically revered as Zeus's powerful eagle, bearing lightning and messages, this celestial constellation reaches its highest point in the sky during July and August.
6 days ago
With its unparalleled infrared capabilities, Webb now accomplishes what was once impossible, transforming our view of the cosmos from distant galaxies to our solar system.
6 days ago
An autonomous docking for the Progress 92 is anticipated around 5:27 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 5.
Jul 4, 2025
This lift-off, from Kennedy Space Center's historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), marked yet another crucial orbital mission for SpaceX.
Jul 2, 2025
The advanced LOFAR radio telescope enabled scientists to detect a massive cloud of high-energy particles around a galaxy cluster whose light traveled 10 billion years to Earth.
Jul 1, 2025
The new image specifically highlights the eastern reaches of Arcadia Planitia, a crucial area northwest of the massive Tharsis volcanic province.
Jun 30, 2025
The spiral galaxy UGC 11397, in the constellation Lyra, is home to a supermassive black hole aggressively consuming material at its core.
Jun 30, 2025
The New Shepard program's 33rd overall flight, a suborbital journey lasting approximately 10 minutes, lifted off from Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:39 a.m. CDT.
Jun 30, 2025
The dwarf galaxy NGC 4449, just 12.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, is a standout 'starburst galaxy.'
Jun 29, 2025
The new image combines data from across the electromagnetic spectrum, giving astronomers a complete picture of Andromeda's complex structure.
Jun 27, 2025
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope recently captured an image of the spiral galaxy IC 758, located 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
Jun 22, 2025
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching in 2027, will use gravitational lensing, a phenomenon Einstein predicted over a century ago, to study the mystery of dark matter.
Jun 22, 2025
Essential for galactic evolution, mergers impact the layout of gas, the motion of stars, and a galaxy's overall structure, ultimately leading to greater stellar mass.
Jun 21, 2025
Scientists are shedding new light on Cosmic Noon, a crucial era 10 to 12 billion years in the past when stars formed at rates 10 to 100 times greater than what we see now.
Jun 21, 2025
Climate change has amplified wildfires across Canada and the western US.
Jun 21, 2025
By the night of June 19, Mars officially entered the Spring Triangle, and it'll continue to skim its lower edge until mid-September.
Jun 19, 2025