Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

Discuss deep sky objects.
Post Reply
Refractordude
Interdicted
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 1493
Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 1:05 am
4
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#1

Post by Refractordude »


I will be driving to a bortle 2 area in May. I am thinking of adding this quasar to my object list. Will be using a 150mm f/8 achromatic refractor. Your thoughts.

https://astronomynow.com/2019/03/07/see ... pring-sky/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3C_273
User avatar
MistrBadgr United States of America
Orion Spur Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 748
Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 9:27 pm
4
Location: Broken Arrow, Okla, USA
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#2

Post by MistrBadgr »


I think it would be cool just to identify it and know that you are looking at a quasar. I wonder if any color shift can be seen in an image of it.
Bill Steen
Many small scopes, plus a Lightbridge 12, LX 70-8R,6R,6M
Many eyepieces, just not really expensive ones.
User avatar
pakarinen United States of America
Inter-Galactic Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 4013
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:33 pm
4
Location: NE Illinois
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#3

Post by pakarinen »


That would be quite the trophy if you bag it.
=============================================================================
I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
User avatar
NGC 1365 Australia
Saturn Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 368
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2019 8:30 am
4
Location: NSW Australia
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#4

Post by NGC 1365 »


Just do it, A couple of years ago I tried with multiple scopes, easy in an 8 inch, doable in 6 inch, and just with averted vision and patience in a 100mm binocular telescope. A good finder chart can be made on the AAVSO site.
Ivan
User avatar
NGC 1365 Australia
Saturn Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 368
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2019 8:30 am
4
Location: NSW Australia
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#5

Post by NGC 1365 »


If you're interested here's the original thread.
https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/sho ... p?t=174645
Ivan
User avatar
helicon United States of America
Co-Administrator
Co-Administrator
Articles: 585
Online
Posts: 12279
Joined: Mon May 06, 2019 1:35 pm
4
Location: Washington
Status:
Online

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#6

Post by helicon »


I think with 6" aperture it would be fairly easy at Bortle 2. I observed it from my backyard through the 10" Dob.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
User avatar
AstroBee United States of America
Moderator
Moderator
Articles: 0
Online
Posts: 2200
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:03 pm
4
Location: Henderson, NV
Status:
Online

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#7

Post by AstroBee »


Refractordude wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 4:42 am I will be driving to a bortle 2 area in May. I am thinking of adding this quasar to my object list. Will be using a 150mm f/8 achromatic refractor. Your thoughts.

https://astronomynow.com/2019/03/07/see ... pring-sky/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3C_273
Thanks for the link. Now I have to see if I can image it from my backyard (bortle 8-9)!
Greg M.~ "Ad Astra per Aspera"
Scopes: Celestron EdgeHD14", Explore Scientific ED152CF & ED127 APO's, StellarVue SV70T, Classic Orange-Tube C-8, Lunt 80mm Ha double-stack solar scope.
Mounts: Astro-Physics Mach One, iOptron CEM70EC Mount, iOptron ZEQ25 Mount.
Cameras: ZWO ASI2600mm Pro, ZWO 2600MC Pro, ZWO ASI1600mm
Filters: 36mm Chroma LRGB & 3nm Ha, OIII, SII, L-Pro, L-eXtreme
Eyepieces: 27mm TeleVue Panoptic, 4mm TeleVue Radian, Explore Scientific 82° 30mm, 6.7mm , Baader 13mm Hyperion, Explore Scientific 70° 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, Meade 8.8mm UWA
Software: N.I.N.A., SharpCapPro, PixInsight, PhotoShop CC, Phd2, Stellarium
https://www.nevadadesertskies.com
User avatar
AstroBee United States of America
Moderator
Moderator
Articles: 0
Online
Posts: 2200
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:03 pm
4
Location: Henderson, NV
Status:
Online

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#8

Post by AstroBee »


Quasar 3C 273 03/13/2021
Probably the furthest object I've knowingly images at 2.3 billion lightyears, this is Quasar 3C 273 in the constellation Virgo.

Very near the center of this frame, you'll find three stars that make a very small triangle. Two of the stars are of equal brightness and the third is slightly dimmer. The brighter top star in the tiny triangle is the Quasar!

This image is a Livestack directly from SharpCapPro of 60x 30second Luminance images.
Total Integration Time 30 minutes.


Right ascension 12h 29m 06.7s
Declination +02° 03′ 09″

Image

Slightly cropped with the quasar pointed out.
Image
Greg M.~ "Ad Astra per Aspera"
Scopes: Celestron EdgeHD14", Explore Scientific ED152CF & ED127 APO's, StellarVue SV70T, Classic Orange-Tube C-8, Lunt 80mm Ha double-stack solar scope.
Mounts: Astro-Physics Mach One, iOptron CEM70EC Mount, iOptron ZEQ25 Mount.
Cameras: ZWO ASI2600mm Pro, ZWO 2600MC Pro, ZWO ASI1600mm
Filters: 36mm Chroma LRGB & 3nm Ha, OIII, SII, L-Pro, L-eXtreme
Eyepieces: 27mm TeleVue Panoptic, 4mm TeleVue Radian, Explore Scientific 82° 30mm, 6.7mm , Baader 13mm Hyperion, Explore Scientific 70° 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, Meade 8.8mm UWA
Software: N.I.N.A., SharpCapPro, PixInsight, PhotoShop CC, Phd2, Stellarium
https://www.nevadadesertskies.com
User avatar
NGC 1365 Australia
Saturn Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 368
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2019 8:30 am
4
Location: NSW Australia
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#9

Post by NGC 1365 »


Congratulations on the capture, Quasars are addictive. I've bagged about a dozen visually in the last two years with the 18 inch scope, the most distant being 11.4 GLy's.
Ivan
User avatar
pakarinen United States of America
Inter-Galactic Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 4013
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:33 pm
4
Location: NE Illinois
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#10

Post by pakarinen »


I just read in my copy of The Deep Sky by Harrington that it should be visible with 150mm (I assume reflector) or greater under clear, dark skies. Makes me wonder if I should try a shot at it with my ST120 at a dark site.
=============================================================================
I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
User avatar
notFritzArgelander
In Memory
In Memory
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 14925
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 4:13 pm
4
Location: Idaho US
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Have You Ever Observed Quasar 3c273?

#11

Post by notFritzArgelander »


Yes, when I was younger I made a point of it. Limiting magnitude reachable depends on your eyes as well as the scope. If you have average eyesight and experience you might just make it with a 6" scope. If you have exceptional acuity it is doable with an 80mm.

For instance the limiting magnitudes given for an 80mm scope are:

Baker 11.32; Norton 12.22; Sidgwick 13.22

For a 150mm scope:

Baker 12.68; Norton 13.58; Sidgwick 14.58.

From a dark site I find Sidgwick's limits work better for me. YMMV of course. The differences between the limits represent human variability.
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
Post Reply

Create an account or sign in to join the discussion

You need to be a member in order to post a reply

Create an account

Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute

Register

Sign in

Return to “Deep sky”