The unusual quasar HE 2347-4342

This is a direct image of HE 2347-4342 at the centre of a 7.5 x 7.5 arcmin 2 sky field. HE 2347-4342 was discovered in October 1995 by Lutz Wisotzki from the University of Hamburg; the 'HE' stands for Hamburg-ESO . The visual magnitude is 16.1, i.e. `only' 10,000 times fainter than what can be seen with the naked eye; this makes it one of the apparently brightest quasars in the sky found so far. Still, it is quite distant - the measured redshift is z = 2.885.

This places it at a distance that implies a look-back time of more than 80% of the age of the Universe. We thus observe it, as it was, just a few billion years after the Big Bang. Being so bright in the sky and yet so distant means that HE 2347-4342 must be one of the intrinsically brightest objects in the Universe. In fact, it is no less than 10 15 times more luminous than the Sun, or 10,000 times brighter than the entire Milky Way galaxy in which we live.

Oikeudet:

ESO

Kuvasta

Tunnistus:eso9720a
Tyyppi:Havainto
Julkaisupäivä:1. elokuuta 1997
Vastaavat julkaisut:eso9720
Koko:529 x 529 px

Kohteesta

Nimi:HE 2347-4342
Tyyppi:Early Universe : Galaxy : Activity : AGN : Quasar
Etäisyys:z=2.885 (punasiirtymä)
Constellation:Phoenix
Kategoria:Quasars and Black Holes

Kuvaformaatit

Suuri JPEG
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Kokoruudun JPEG
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Taustakuvat

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Koordinaatit

Position (RA):23 50 34.31
Position (Dec):-43° 25' 59.13"
Field of view:7.48 x 7.48 arcminutes
Suuntaus:Pohjoinen on 0.3° vasen pystysuuntaan nähden

Värit ja suotimet

KaistaTeleskooppi
OptinenESO 1-metre telescope