key term - Quasar

Definition

A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus, powered by a supermassive black hole at its center. Quasars emit enormous amounts of energy, often outshining the entire galaxy in which they reside.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Quasars are among the most distant and ancient objects observed in the universe.
2. The energy output of a quasar can be thousands of times greater than that of a typical galaxy like the Milky Way.
3. Quasars exhibit high redshifts, indicating they are moving away from us at significant speeds due to the expansion of the universe.
4. The light from quasars often takes billions of years to reach Earth, providing insights into the early universe and galaxy formation.
5. Quasars can have powerful jets that emit radio waves, making them detectable across various wavelengths.

Review Questions

Related terms

Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN): The central region of a galaxy that is extremely bright due to energetic processes occurring around its supermassive black hole.

Supermassive Black Hole:

A type of black hole with millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun, typically found at the centers of galaxies.

Redshift:

The phenomenon where light from an object is shifted to longer wavelengths as it moves away from an observer, commonly used to measure cosmic distances.