3.16.2013

1963: Quasars

   Short for "quasi-stellar radio sources," quasars are defined as massive and extremely remote celestial objects, emitting exceptionally large amounts of energy, and typically having a starlike image in a telescope. It has been suggested that quasars contain massive black holes and may represent a stage in the evolution of some galaxies. (Oxford Dictionaries).
   Their existence was first reported in studies appearing in the March 16, 1963, edition of the journal Nature. The photo shows quasar 3c 273 at the center.
* "3c 273: A star-like object with large red-shift" (Maarten Schmidt, Nature, March 16, 1963): @
* Definition from "Firefly Astronomy Dictionary" (2003): @
* Entry from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Center: @
* Entry from britannica.com: @
* Frequently Asked Questions About Quasars (Department of Physics, Virginia Tech): @
* "The Great Quasar Odyssey" (New Scientist, November 1982): @ 

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