3C 273

quasar · the first one ever identified (1963)

2.44 billion light-years from Earth

A black hole of nearly a billion Suns feeding so fast its core outshines the whole galaxy 100 times. Its jet runs 200,000 light-years. Inner parts are drawn magnified, as the scale bar shows.

• 2.4 billion light-years · light left it before animals existed
• jets at 0.90c: near jet boosted x58.6, far jet x0.29

kind

galaxy