Triple quasar QQQ 1429-008

Using ESO's Very Large Telescope and the W.M. Keck Observatory, astronomers at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland and the California Institute of Technology, USA, have discovered what appears to be the first known triplet of quasars. This close trio of supermassive black holes lies about 10.5 billion light-years away towards the Virgo (The Virgin) constellation. The photo shows the image of the triple quasar QQQ 1429-008, with the three components (A, B and C) indicated on the additional image.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:eso0702a
Type:Observation
Release date:8 January 2007
Related releases:eso0702
Size:2999 x 2241 px

About the Object

Name:QQQ 1429-008
Type:Early Universe : Galaxy : Activity : AGN : Quasar
Distance:z=2.076 (redshift)
Category:Cosmology
Quasars and Black Holes

Image Formats

Large JPEG
871.3 KB
Screensize JPEG
189.7 KB

Wallpapers

1024x768
248.2 KB
1280x1024
351.9 KB
1600x1200
470.3 KB
1920x1200
510.1 KB
2048x1536
668.2 KB

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared
K
2.213 μmW. M. Keck Observatory
NIRC2

Ks
Very Large Telescope
InfraredW. M. Keck Observatory