Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  NGC 3073  ·  NGC 3079
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NGC 3079 and Twin Quasar QSO 0957+561A/B, Robert Eder
NGC 3079 and Twin Quasar QSO 0957+561A/B
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NGC 3079 and Twin Quasar QSO 0957+561A/B

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NGC 3079 and Twin Quasar QSO 0957+561A/B, Robert Eder
NGC 3079 and Twin Quasar QSO 0957+561A/B
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NGC 3079 and Twin Quasar QSO 0957+561A/B

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Description

NGC 3079 is a nice little barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. This is nothing special, if there weren't about 10 arcminutes north two small dots.

This is the twin quasar Q0957 + 561A/B, which appears double by a gravitational lens. Distance 7.8 billion light-years (almost twice as far away as the age of our solar system).

They were discovered in 1979 and it was the first proof that Einstein was right. The light of "A" arrives 417 days earlier than that of "B".

It is said to be one of the farthest objects that can be seen with an amateur telescope 😃

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NGC 3079 and Twin Quasar QSO 0957+561A/B, Robert Eder

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