Dual Quasar (J0749+2255)

Dual Quasar (J0749+2255)

A Hubble Space Telescope photograph of a pair of quasars that existed when the universe was just 3 billion years old. They are embedded inside a pair of colliding galaxies. The quasars are separated by less than the size of a single galaxy. Quasars are powered by voracious, supermassive black holes blasting out ferocious fountains of energy as they engorge themselves on gas, dust, and anything else within their gravitational grasp. The black holes will eventually merge.

Credits

Science

NASA, ESA, Yu-Ching Chen (UIUC), Hsiang-Chih Hwang (IAS), Nadia Zakamska (JHU), Yue Shen (UIUC)

About The Object
Object Name J0749+2255
Object Description Binary quasars
R.A. Position 07:49:22.966
Dec. Position +22:55:11.77
Constellation Gemini
Distance 10.661 billion light-years (z=2.17)
About The Data
Data Description The HST observations include those from program (Hsiang-Chih Hwang)
Instrument WFC3/UVIS
Exposure Dates July 06, 2020
Filters F475W, F814W
About The Image
Color Info These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Two filters were used to sample wide wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Cyan: F475W, Orange: F814W
Compass Image A Hubble Space Telescope photograph of two, closely spaced, white objects, one above and to the left of the other. Each is surrounded by a diffuse orange ring with small orange rays. Each object is somewhat reminiscent of a child’s drawing of the Sun. The objects are set against a black background with very faint brownish orange splotches.
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
  • Proposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
  • Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
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.

Download