Revisiting the quasar without a home

Colour composite image of a peculiar object, the nearby quasar HE0450-2958, which is the only one for which no sign of a host galaxy has yet been detected. A team of astronomers has identified black hole jets as a possible driver of galaxy formation, which may also represent the long-sought missing link to understanding why the mass of black holes is larger in galaxies that contain more stars. The mid-infrared part of this image was obtained with the VISIR instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, while the visible image comes courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Advanced Camera for Surveys.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:eso0946b
Type:Observation
Release date:30 November 2009
Related releases:eso0946
Size:331 x 331 px

About the Object

Name:HE0450-2958
Type:Local Universe : Galaxy : Activity : AGN : Quasar
Distance:z=0.286 (redshift)
Constellation:Caelum
Category:Quasars and Black Holes

Image Formats

Large JPEG
47.5 KB
Screensize JPEG
143.3 KB

Wallpapers

1024x768
149.5 KB
1280x1024
206.8 KB
1600x1200
257.9 KB
1920x1200
277.7 KB
2048x1536
353.2 KB

Coordinates

Position (RA):4 52 30.10
Position (Dec):-29° 53' 35.57"
Field of view:0.10 x 0.10 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 1.8° right of vertical

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared
Mid-IR
Very Large Telescope
VISIR
Optical
V
606 nmHubble Space Telescope
ACS