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Quasi-Stellar Objects (QSO)
Observering the Visual Limits of the Universe

Quasi-Stellar Objects (QSO) is class of objects beyond our Milky Way Galaxy that have a starlike visual appearance except that the optical spectrum has a large redshift. Quasars (quasi-stellar radio sources) are strong radio sources that are starlike. A QSO may have a strong radio source or may not have a strong radio source.

A QSO optical appearance in an image looks like other dim stars except the QSO optical spectrum is different than a dim star.

Links: Wikipedia Quasar, List of quasars and Active galactic nucleus


Redshifts of Quasi-Stellar Objects

This image shows the spectra of four quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), along with an example of what the spectrum might look like for a typical QSO if it were not moving away from us. The upper spectrum, designated "Rest" Frame, shows the spectrum of a QSO moving at zero velocity with respect to the Earth. Four additional QSO spectra with increasing "redshift", or recession velocity, are shown as they appear to observers on Earth. The spectral lines are shifted more and more toward the red as the redshift increases

Above Text and Image credit for this section: C. Pilachowski, M. Corbin /NOAO/AURA/NSF, National Optical Astronomy Observatory/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy/National Science Foundation (NOAO/AURA/NSF)

Links


Time Scale


Time

Event

Redshift (z)

8 min. & 19 sec.

Light travel-time from the Sun

 

8.6 yr

Light travel-time from the star Sirius

-0.000025

195,000 yr

Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

 

2.52 Myr

Light travel-time from Messier M31 galaxy

-0.003329

1.572 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO LBQS 0042-2550 near NGC253

0.128054

4.5 Gyr

Age of the Solar System

 

4.544 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO LBQS 0042-2550 near NGC253

0.453046

4.776 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [HB89] 0045-260 near NGC253

0.485056

6.536 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [WHO91] 0048-259 near NGC253

0.779059

8.176 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO LBQS 0047-2522 near NGC253

1.183052

8.360 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO LBQS 0045-2606 near NGC253

1.241056

9.104 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [HB89] 0046-251 near NGC253

1.516046

9.545 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [WHO91] 0041-262 near NGC253

1.719048

9.545 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [WHB96] 0041-2608 near NGC253

1.719048

9.991 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO LBQS 0047-2538 near NGC253

1.968055

10.166 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO LBQS 0048-2545 near NGC253

2.081058

10.207 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [VCV96] Q 0048-2526 near NGC253

2.109054

10.398 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [HB89] 0048-261 near NGC253

2.248062

10.699 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [CT83] 034 near NGC253

2.500048

10.721 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [HB89] 0045-258 near NGC253

2.520053

11.386 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO [WHO91] 0043-259 near NGC253

3.309050

11.831 Gyr

Light travel-time from QSO BRI J0048-2442 near NGC253

4.149044

~13 Gyr

Light travel-time from the most distant known quasar
CFHQS J2329-0301, papers: 1 & 2

6.43

12 to 14 Gyr

Age of the Universe

 

Gyr = gigayear = one billion years
Myr = one million years


David Haworth QSO Images