astronomy

PKS 1424−418

PKS 1424−418 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PKS 1424−418 rather than just read about it. In short: PKS 1424−418 is a blazar located in the constellation of Centaurus. It has a redshift of 1.522 and was first discovered in 1971 by astronomer Keith Peter Tritton who identified the object as ultraviolet-excessive.

Key takeaways

PKS 1424−418 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PKS 1424−418 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PKS 1424−418 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PKS 1424−418 is a blazar located in the constellation of Centaurus. It has a redshift of 1.522 and was first discovered in 1971 by astronomer Keith Peter Tritton who identified the object as ultraviolet-excessive. This object is also highly polarized with a compact radio source. The radio spectrum of this source appears flat, making it a flat-spectrum radio quasar. PKS 1424−418 is found optically variable on the electromagnetic spectrum. It is a strong source of gamma rays. Between 2008 and 2011, PKS 1424−418 showed four phases of bright flares at GeV energies. The flares have a high correlation between the energy ranges with the exception of one flare that occurred at the same time it showed low gamma activity. In April 2013, it underwent a major gamma ray outburst with its peak flux reaching values of F(> 100 MeV) > 3 × 10−6 ph cm−2 s−1. According to Large Area Telescope observations, this emission originated beyond its broad-line region. A near-infrared flare was witnessed in PKS 1424−418 in January 2018. In August 2022, it once again displayed an episode of rapid flaring activity in both gamma ray and optical bands. PKS 1424−418 contains a radio structure, comprising a strong radio core and a weaker component with a position angle of 260°. Further observations also showed the core has a size of 0.4 mas with extended emission at both the core's position and northwest. In addition, the core has a flat spectral index of -0.04. A jet is seen extending west from the core before becoming diffused. Between May 2009 and September 2019, the gamma ray emission from PKS 1424−418 was found to undergo a quasi-periodic oscillation with a 353-day flux oscillation period. A 355-day period with high significance level is also confirmed by adopting time domain methods. This might be explained by orbital motion of a binary supermassive black hole system with the mass of a primary black hole being M ~ 3.5 × 108 - 5.5 × 109 M☉.

References

External links PKS 1424−418 on SIMBAD PKS 1424−418 on NASA/IPAC Database

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PKS 1424−418

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PKS 1424−418 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PKS 1424−418 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PKS 1424−418 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PKS 1424−418

In research: PKS 1424−418 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PKS 1424−418 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PKS 1424−418 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Active galaxies, Astronomical objects discovered in 1971, Blazars, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PKS 1424−418 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study PKS 1424−418 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PKS 1424−418 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PKS 1424−418 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PKS 1424−418 in simple terms?

Why does PKS 1424−418 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PKS 1424−418?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PKS 1424−418.