quasar
Distant galactic nucleus
A quasar is an extremely luminous core of a distant galaxy, powered by a supermassive black hole consuming surrounding matter.
Quasars are among the brightest objects in the universe, visible across billions of light-years.
The name comes from "quasi-stellar radio source"—early astronomers mistook them for stars because they appeared as single points of light.
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
- black holeCollapsed star's remnant
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
- supermassiveExtremely large in scale
- cosmologyStudy of universal structure
astrophysics · light-year · event horizon · gravitational lensing · spectroscopy · telescope · Hubble · observatory
Far away or aloof
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
- light-yearsUnits of astronomical distance
- expansionIncrease in scope
- cosmologicalRelating to universe's origin/structure
primordial · ancient · billions · farthest · remote
Emitting or reflecting light
- brilliantIntensely bright or gifted
- radiantEmitting light or joy
- blazingBurning very brightly
- dazzlingOverwhelmingly bright or impressive
brightest · outshining · beacon · luminosity · magnitude · flux · emission · photons
Pressurized fluid streams
- relativisticConcerning high-speed physics
- synchrotronCircular charged-particle accelerator
- plasmaElectrified matter state
- radiationEnergy propagation through space
powerful · superluminal · acceleration · magnetosphere · charged particles · kinetic · turbulence · outflows
Puzzling and obscure
- puzzlingCausing confusion or bewilderment
- discoveryAct of finding something
- unknownNot yet discovered
- perplexingCausing mental confusion
anomalous · variable · flickering · transient · unexplained · controversial · debate · origin
galaxy
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
- black holeCollapsed star's remnant
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
- supermassiveExtremely large in scale
cosmology · astrophysics · light-year · event horizon · gravitational lensing · spectroscopy · telescope · Hubble · observatory · deep-space
distant
Far away or aloof
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
- light-yearsUnits of astronomical distance
- expansionIncrease in scope
cosmological · primordial · ancient · billions · farthest · remote
luminous
Emitting or reflecting light
dazzling · brightest · outshining · beacon · luminosity · magnitude · flux · emission · photons · ultraviolet
jets
Pressurized fluid streams
- relativisticConcerning high-speed physics
- synchrotronCircular charged-particle accelerator
- plasmaElectrified matter state
radiation · powerful · superluminal · acceleration · magnetosphere · charged particles · kinetic · turbulence · outflows · feedback
enigmatic
Puzzling and obscure
perplexing · anomalous · variable · flickering · transient · unexplained · controversial · debate · origin · formation
quasardark nebula
Light-obscuring interstellar dust cloud
black hole · dark matter · void · cold spot · brown dwarf
quasarnearby star
Proxima Centauri · the Moon · Milky Way · Andromeda Galaxy · planet
quasarasteroid
Sun-orbiting rocky mass
comet · dwarf planet · moon · meteoroid · cosmic dust