double quasar Q0957+561 A (QSO 0957+561 A) and Q-0957+561 B (QSO 0957+561 B) (astroeyes)

double quasar Q0957+561 A (QSO 0957+561 A) and Q-0957+561 B (QSO 0957+561 B)

Another from the archives, taken using my old MX5C camera.

Not far from ngc 3079 can be found the famous 'double quasar' Q0957+561 A (QSO 0957+561 A) and Q-0957+561 B (QSO 0957+561 B) in Ursa Major. Whilst checking my charts I saw a reference to a 'double quasar' not far from ngc 3079 and as my set up was working well at the time I decided to try and hunt it down. After a while I managed to locate the area and obtained about 30 x 60 sec good exposures. I was amazed to be able to see the double quasar and after processing, to get a reasonable image. The following description is from Wikipedia, because I certainly didn't know anything about the object till last night.

Q0957+561 A (QSO 0957+561 A) and Q-0957+561 B (QSO 0957+561 B) is a double-imaged quasar, meaning that an intervening mass concentration between Earth and the quasar bends light so that two images of the quasar appear in the sky. This is known as gravitational lensing, and is a consequence of Einsteinian warped space-time. The quasar lies at redshift z = 1.41(8.7 billion ly), while the lensing galaxy lies at redshift z = 0.355 (3.7 billion ly). The lensing galaxy lies almost in line with the B image, lying 1" off. The quasar lies 10' north of NGC 3079, in the constellation Ursa Major.

The Twin Quasar's two images are separated by 6". Both images have an apparent magnitude of 17, with the A component having 16.7 and the B component having 16.5 . There is a 1.14 year time lag between the two images.

The lensing galaxy, G1, is a giant elliptical (type cD) lying within a cluster of galaxies that also contribute to the lensing.

Fascinating, if unimpressive in my image, but I thought worth sharing with you. It's probably the most distant object I'll ever image!!

Final
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B

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