The Discovery of Quasars

Overview

Maarten Schmidt recognised that the puzzling radio source 3C 273 was extremely redshifted, placing it billions of light-years away and making it astonishingly luminous.

Why it matters

Revealed quasars as the brilliant, active cores of distant galaxies powered by supermassive black holes.

Credit

Discovered by

Maarten Schmidt

Objects & facilities

Observed at

Palomar Observatory

Knowledge connections

Discovered byMaarten Schmidt
Part ofSpace Age Astronomy
Discovered atPalomar Observatory
Related toQuasar

Sources & references

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica
General reference for the history of astronomy, biographies, and cultural context.
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.

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