This image shows the quasar HE0450-2958 after advanced image processing known as MCS-deconvolution. Thanks to this technique, it is possible to remove the brilliant glare from the quasar itself.
The most interesting feature in the image is the nearly total absence of starlight from a host galaxy. The processing also reveals an interesting smaller cloud of gas about 2,500 light-years wide, which the scientists call "the blob," just next to the quasar. Very Large Telescope (VLT) observations show this cloud to be glowing because it is bathed in the intense radiation coming from the quasar. Most likely, it is the gas from this 'blob' that feeds the supermassive black hole, thereby allowing it to shine as a quasar.
Credits
NASA, ESA, ESO, F. Courbin (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland) and P. Magain (Universite de Liege, Belgium)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | HE0450-2958 |
| Object Description | Quasar |
| R.A. Position | 04h 52m 30.0s |
| Dec. Position | −29° 53’ 35" |
| Constellation | Caelum |
| Distance | About 5 billion light-years in the center |
| About The Data | |
| Instrument | HST>ACS/HRC |
| Exposure Dates | October 2004 |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
