Redshift 5.0 Quasar

The arrow in this image points out the record-breaking redshift 5.0 quasar discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. That faint red dot of light represents an object that is actually a hundred times as luminous as a typical galaxy. Sky Survey astronomers identified this object as a possible high-redshift quasar on the basis of its exceptionally red color compared to ordinary stars and galaxies. Followup spectroscopy with the ARC 3.5-meter telescope confirmed that this unassuming speck was indeed the most distant quasar known to date.
Image credit: SDSS Collaboration
Image distributed by: Fermilab Visual Media Services

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