3C273 - Quasar in Virgo

Dear Friends,

The quasar 3C273 in Virgo is the brightest visible quasar from Earth and
with a magnitude of 12.8 is also visible with average amateur equipment.
Lying at a distance of two BILLION light-years away, it is the furthest
any amateur equipment can reach (and especially right from one's backyard).

Further details including an image are available at
http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-DSO-QSO-3C273.htm .

Anthony.

Hi

A lovely image...
...but for example http://www.guildfordas.org/observing...r_episode.html
~7 billion light years (I am not a member of the Guildford AS).

There are apparently quite a few others as well as AGNs that are observed,
imaged and monitored by amateurs.

Regards
Paul

"Anthony Ayiomamitis" wrote in message
...
Dear Friends,

The quasar 3C273 in Virgo is the brightest visible quasar from Earth and
with a magnitude of 12.8 is also visible with average amateur equipment.
Lying at a distance of two BILLION light-years away, it is the furthest
any amateur equipment can reach (and especially right from one's
backyard).

Further details including an image are available at
http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-DSO-QSO-3C273.htm .

Anthony.

On Mar 18, 2:37 pm, Anthony Ayiomamitis
wrote:
Dear Friends,

The quasar 3C273 in Virgo is the brightest visible quasar from Earth and
with a magnitude of 12.8 is also visible with average amateur equipment.
Lying at a distance of two BILLION light-years away, it is the furthest
any amateur equipment can reach (and especially right from one's backyard).

Further details including an image are available athttp://www.perseus.gr/Astro-DSO-QSO-3C273.htm.

It is a great shot. Unfortunately your diffraction spikes line up with
where the jet might hope to be seen (roughly diametrically oppposite
the fainter of the two close in stars. I suspect it may be beyond
impossible for amateur kit to capture by it might be interesting to
try for...

eg http://www.astr.ua.edu/keel/agn/3c273.html

Regards,
Martin Brown

Hi Anthony,

It's an astounding shot - Razor sharp.

I always like to show this one to the kids at star parties
and tell them it's two billion LY out there.

Keep up the good work,

Ben

"Anthony Ayiomamitis" wrote in message
...

Dear Friends,

The quasar 3C273 in Virgo is the brightest visible quasar from Earth and
with a magnitude of 12.8 is also visible with average amateur equipment.
Lying at a distance of two BILLION light-years away, it is the furthest
any amateur equipment can reach (and especially right from one's backyard).

Further details including an image are available at
http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-DSO-QSO-3C273.htm .

Antoni, beautiful, as always. Do you by any chance have the correct image
somewhere lurking along with the inverse image? I could not find it anywhere
and I'd be interested in seeing that as well.

Thanks.

Anthony.
--
I.N. Galidakis
http://ioannis.virtualcomposer2000.com/

"Paul Clark" wrote in message
news
Hi

A lovely image...
..but for example http://www.guildfordas.org/observing...r_episode.html
~7 billion light years (I am not a member of the Guildford AS).

There are apparently quite a few others as well as AGNs that are observed,
imaged and monitored by amateurs.

Regards
Paul

Here's another - Q1634+706 in Draco. Light travel distance: 9 billion light
years. Distance now: 13 billion light years. Observed in a 10" and should
be visible in an 8".

Clear skies, Alan

On Mar 18, 9:37 am, Anthony Ayiomamitis
wrote:
Dear Friends,

The quasar 3C273 in Virgo is the brightest visible quasar from Earth and
with a magnitude of 12.8 is also visible with average amateur equipment.
Lying at a distance of two BILLION light-years away, it is the furthest
any amateur equipment can reach (and especially right from one's backyard).

Further details including an image are available athttp://www.perseus.gr/Astro-DSO-QSO-3C273.htm.

Anthony.

I saw it in a 15" Obsession (I think) one night and I was struck by
it's blue colour, though that may have been an illusion. Fascinating
to think these things are so far away and odd at the same time. Why
are there no closer quasars?

"Rich" wrote in
oups.com:

to think these things are so far away and odd at the same time. Why
are there no closer quasars?

I believe the current theory is that they are the nucleus of very young
galaxies. Why there are no young galaxies in our direct neighbourhood is
left as an exercise for the reader ;-)

Alan French wrote:
"Paul Clark" wrote in message
news
Hi

A lovely image...
..but for example http://www.guildfordas.org/observing...r_episode.html
~7 billion light years (I am not a member of the Guildford AS).

There are apparently quite a few others as well as AGNs that are observed,
imaged and monitored by amateurs.

Regards
Paul

Here's another - Q1634+706 in Draco. Light travel distance: 9 billion light
years. Distance now: 13 billion light years. Observed in a 10" and should
be visible in an 8".

There is also PHL 1811, discovered in 2001. It is the second brightest
quasar (visible in a 6"):

http://www.skyhound.com/sh/archive/mar/PHL_1811.html

Clear skies,
Greg

--
Greg Crinklaw
Astronomical Software Developer
Cloudcroft, New Mexico, USA (33N, 106W, 2700m)

SkyTools: http://www.skyhound.com/cs.html
Observing: http://www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html
Comets: http://www.skyhound.com/sh/comets.html

To reply take out your eye

On Mar 18, 9:37 am, Anthony Ayiomamitis
wrote:
Dear Friends,

The quasar 3C273 in Virgo is the brightest visible quasar from Earth and
with a magnitude of 12.8 is also visible with average amateur equipment.
Lying at a distance of two BILLION light-years away, it is the furthest
any amateur equipment can reach (and especially right from one's backyard).


Hi Anthony:

Nope.

There are a number of more distant QUASARs visible in amateur
instruments--and I don't mean 25 - 30-inch behemoth's either.

I've seen the double QUASAR (QSO 0957+561 A/B) in my humble 12.5-inch
scope (albeit from the dark skies of Prude Ranch).

This object in Ursa Major was seen (though NOT EASILY, and not
resolved as double) despite a distance that may approach 7.5 billion
LY.

Unk Rod