The universe unveils a celestial marvel, a quasar shining 500 trillion times brighter than the sun, consuming a solar mass every day. Discovered in 1980 but misidentified as a regular star, a recent study led by Australian astronomers using the Siding Spring Observatory corrected its classification. Published in Nature Astronomy and affirmed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), this quasar now holds the record as the brightest ever observed.
Christopher Onken, coauthor of the study from the Australian National University, expresses surprise at the quasar’s relatively recent recognition, stating, “It has literally been staring us in the face until now.”
Shining Bright: Quasars, the most energetic entities in the universe, reside at the cores of massive galaxies, fueled by supermassive black holes surrounded by vast debris discs. As these black holes draw in debris, intense heating occurs, expelling energy violently into space. The identified quasar’s accretion disc spans an impressive seven light-years.
Hungry Hungry Halo: ESO’s observations disclose the quasar’s voracious appetite, devouring material at an astonishing rate. With a mass equivalent to 17 billion suns, it engulfs a new sun each day. Despite its remarkable attributes, the delayed identification was primarily due to its immense distance. Light from the quasar took 12 billion years to reach Earth-bound telescopes.
What’s Next?: This colossal celestial entity becomes a captivating subject for further exploration. ESO plans to deploy a new instrument capable of measuring black hole masses at vast distances, with the luminous quasar slated for in-depth study. The discovery marks a significant stride in understanding the extraordinary phenomena scattered across the cosmic landscape.