Two Quasars. 2 billion (3C 273) and 11 billion (CTS R 10.30) light years distant (morrienz)

Celestial hemisphere: Northern · Constellation: Virgo (Vir)

Two Quasars. 2 billion (3C 273) and 11 billion (CTS R 10.30) light years distant, morrienz

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Two Quasars. 2 billion (3C 273) and 11 billion (CTS R 10.30) light years distant

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Two Quasars. 2 billion (3C 273) and 11 billion (CTS R 10.30) light years distant

I imaged two quasars from our backyard last night, just to try capturing some objects at great distances.

First, at top, is 3C 273 in Virgo, 2 billion ly away, the quasar closest to us and with the brightest apparent mag of any quasar (+12.85). Its probable absolute magnitude of -26 makes it trillions of times brighter than our sun. It has a huge high energy visible "jet" coming from it which I captured the base of.

2nd object, at bottom, is the much more distant quasar CTS R 10.30 in Corvus (mag +16.2), about 11 billion ly away and moving away from us at 76% of the speed of light. Also trillions of times brighter than our sun despite appearing very faint from this distance. Just a tiny star-like dot of light in an image, but fun to capture it.

TS 130/910 Photoline triplet refractor on a 10Micron GM1000 mount, using 10 minute unguided exposures with a ZWO ASI294Mc Pro CMOS camera and Optolong L-Pro filter. From a rural location in New Zealand last night. Half an hour total exposure on each object. Both were in the northeastern sky.

New Zealand Astrophotography
Southern Hemisphere Astro

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Two Quasars. 2 billion (3C 273) and 11 billion (CTS R 10.30) light years distant

Two Quasars. 2 billion (3C 273) and 11 billion (CTS R 10.30) light years distant

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Two Quasars. 2 billion (3C 273) and 11 billion (CTS R 10.30) light years distant

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