24/7 Space News
TIME AND SPACE
Double quasars revealed as space telescopes peer into history of the universe
Double quasars revealed as space telescopes peer into history of the universe
by Doug Cunningham
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 5, 2023

Astronomers have discovered a pair of quasars indicating the merging of a pair of galaxies, according to a report published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

These high-energy quasars are providing a glimpse into the universe when it was "just" 3 billion years old.

The quasars were revealed through both ground and space-based telescopes that peered into the universe's history. They are allowing scientists to better understand the evolution of galaxies at "cosmic noon." That is when galaxies had bursts of star formations in the history of the universe.

"We don't see a lot of double quasars at this early time. And that's why this discovery is so exciting. Knowing about the progenitor population of black holes will eventually tell us about the emergence of supermassive black holes in the early Universe, and how frequent those mergers could be," said graduate student Yu-Ching Chen of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, lead author of this study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

According to NASA, they were "gravitationally bound quasars, both blazing away inside two merging galaxies."

Quasars are powered by supermassive black holes putting out what NASA described as "ferocious fountains of energy."

According to NASA, there's increasing evidence that large galaxies are built up through mergers like this one.

"We're starting to unveil this tip of the iceberg of the early binary quasar population," said Xin Liu of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "This is the uniqueness of this study. It is actually telling us that this population exists, and now we have a method to identify double quasars that are separated by less than the size of a single galaxy."

NASA said the Hubble Space Telescope, Gemini North Observatory in Hawaii, the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico and NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory all contributed to the uncovering of the quasars. The European Space Agency's Gaia space observatory helped identify the quasars in the first place, according to NASA.

Related Links
Understanding Time and Space

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TIME AND SPACE
Galaxy clusters yield new evidence for standard model of cosmology
Stanford CA (SPX) Apr 04, 2023
Cosmologists have found new evidence for the standard model of cosmology - this time, using data on the structure of galaxy clusters. In a recent study, a team led by physicists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University made detailed measurements of the X-ray emission from galaxy clusters, which revealed the distribution of matter within them. In turn, the data helped the scientists test the prevailing theory of the structure and evolution of the un ... read more

TIME AND SPACE
NASA awards innovative concept studies for science, exploration

Axiom Space's upcoming ISS mission part of increasing commercialization of space

Makenzie Lystrup named first female director of Goddard Space Flight Center

Soyuz spacecraft that will bring ISS crew back to Earth moved to new port

TIME AND SPACE
SpaceX prepares for rehearsal, test flight of Starship rocket

NASA's TEMPO spacecraft hitched a ride with Intelsat's 40e satellite on a SpaceX rocket

Privately built, liquid-fuel rocket first in world to reach orbit in debut flight

Momentus' pioneering propulsion system completes initial tests in space

TIME AND SPACE
Scoping out the next sampling stop for Perseverance

New interactive mosaic uses NASA imagery to show Mars in vivid detail

Ready for Software Upgrade Sols 3786-3788

MOXIE Celebrates 2 Years on Mars: Discoveries and Work Left To Do

TIME AND SPACE
China's inland space launch site advances commercial services

China's Shenzhou XV astronauts complete 3rd spacewalk

China's Shenzhou-15 astronauts to return in June

China's space technology institute sees launches of 400 spacecraft

TIME AND SPACE
Safran to provide GNSS simulation solutions for Xona's LEO constellation

Deloitte announces formal space practice for rapidly growing space industry

Unseenlabs ready for Bro-9 satellite launch dedicated vessel geolocation from space

Kenya to launch first operational satellite next week

TIME AND SPACE
Satixfy tests new antenna with OneWeb and Air Force Research Lab

Integral safe at last

LeoLabs and ClearSpace partner to advance a safer, more sustainable space environment

D-Orbit signs contract with ESA for IRIDE Satellite Observation Program

TIME AND SPACE
Do Earth-like exoplanets have magnetic fields

New paper investigates exoplanet climates

JWST confirms giant planet atmospheres vary widely

Planet hunting and the origins of life

TIME AND SPACE
NASA's Webb Scores Another Ringed World with New Image of Uranus

Juice testing - down to the wire

An unprecedented journey to Jupiter

Sabotaging Juice

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.