astronomy

QSO B0133+476

QSO B0133+476 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 QSO B0133+476 rather than just read about it. In short: QSO B0133+476, alternatively known as DA 55, is a blazar located in the constellation of Andromeda. Its redshift is (z) 0.859 and it was first discovered as an astronomical radio source by astronomers who conducted a survey at 1.4 GHz in 1970.

Key takeaways

QSO B0133+476 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect QSO B0133+476 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of QSO B0133+476 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

QSO B0133+476, alternatively known as DA 55, is a blazar located in the constellation of Andromeda. Its redshift is (z) 0.859 and it was first discovered as an astronomical radio source by astronomers who conducted a survey at 1.4 GHz in 1970. This object has also been referred to as an optically violent variable (OVV) quasar due to its variability, a BL Lac object and a highly polarized quasar (HPQ).

Description QSO B0133+476 is in a constant active state. It is known to exhibit several outbursts showing longer outburst time scales at longer wavelengths and a recorded amplitude outburst reaching near 15 to 31 GHz, during observations spanning roughly one decade. Its pre-outburst spectrum, found relatively flat between 2.7 and 31.4 GHz, started rising and became inverted during an outburst in between 1973 and 1974. Between 1978 and 1980 it had another outburst with the peak of the spectrum reaching 8 GHz in 1979.5 and 2.7 GHz by 1980.3. When compared to the 1973-1974 outburst, the spectrum was much flatter which it subsequently broadened. A flare was detected from QSO B0133+476 in the middle of July 2002, with a brightness increase to 14.3 magnitude. It was followed by another flare detected from November 2024 during which the flux density rose steadily to 16.1 magnitude between January 20 and 21 2025. Near-infrared activity was detected towards the end of 2008, in 2011 and again in February 2013. The source of QSO B0133+476 is classified as double. Based on polarization images presented by Very Long Baseline Interometry, it has a compact radio structure, mainly comprising an elongated strong radio core, a faint weak secondary component that is located 3.7 milliarcseconds (mas) from the core and signs of an extended diffused structure in the west direction. Observations also showed most of the radio emission is contained within the core, which in turn has a flat spectrum and a rest-frame rotation measure of -1420 ± 56 rad m−2. When imaged by the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 1.7, 4.8 and 8.4 GHz frequencies, the source instead shows a core-jet morphology with its emission being dominated by a bright component and a jet resolving into a wiggled tail-like structure.

References

External links QSO B0133+476 on SIMBAD QSO B0133+476 on NASA/IPAC Database

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with QSO B0133+476

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what QSO B0133+476 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 QSO B0133+476 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 QSO B0133+476 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 QSO B0133+476

In research: QSO B0133+476 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 QSO B0133+476 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: QSO B0133+476 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Active galaxies, Andromeda (constellation), Astronomical objects discovered in 1970, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for QSO B0133+476 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 QSO B0133+476 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what QSO B0133+476 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 QSO B0133+476 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is QSO B0133+476 in simple terms?

Why does QSO B0133+476 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 QSO B0133+476?

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 QSO B0133+476.