Astrophysical object
Quasar
Cosmology & UniverseEstablished Science
Definition
The extremely luminous core of a distant galaxy powered by a feeding supermassive black hole.
Scientific overview
Quasars are the brightest members of the active-galactic-nucleus family: a supermassive black hole accreting matter through a hot disk outshines its entire host galaxy, visible across billions of light-years. Their huge redshifts revealed the scale of the distant Universe.
Rests on
Related discoveries & objects
Related topics
Knowledge connections
- Related toAccretion Disk
- Related toSupermassive Black Hole
- Depends onAccretion Disk
- Related toActive Galactic Nucleus
- Related toSupermassive Black Hole
- Related toBlazar
- Related toThe Discovery of Quasars
- Related toBlazar
- Related toActive Galactic Nucleus
- Associated withThe Unified AGN Model
Sources & references
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
- ESOEuropean Southern Observatory
Southern-hemisphere observatory data and imagery (VLT, ALMA partner).