astronomy

QSO B1823+568

QSO B1823+568 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 B1823+568 rather than just read about it. In short: QSO B1823+568 is a BL Lacertae object located in the northern constellation of Draco. Its redshift is (z) 0.664 and it was first discovered as an astronomical radio source by A.N.

Key takeaways

QSO B1823+568 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 B1823+568 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of QSO B1823+568 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

QSO B1823+568 is a BL Lacertae object located in the northern constellation of Draco. Its redshift is (z) 0.664 and it was first discovered as an astronomical radio source by A.N. Argue and Chris Sullivan in 1980. The radio spectrum of the source appears as flat making it a flat-spectrum radio quasar but also has been classified as a blazar in literature where it is alternatively designated as 4C 56.27. It is also a radio-loud quasar.

Description

Host galaxy The host of QSO B1823+568 is found to be an elongated elliptical galaxy based on imaging made by Hubble Space Telescope. Its V-band apparent magnitude is 16.4. The host displays non-relaxed isotopes suggesting a past merger. It is extremely bright at near-infrared wavelengths. A highly distorted possible companion galaxy was found located east from QSO B1823+568.

Variability QSO B1823+568 is variable on the electromagnetic spectrum. It is known to display rapid brightening within a few days based on a light curve, which was obtained during the Hamburg quasar monitoring program, conducted at Calar Alto Observatory in August 1991. Its polarization is known to differ between 9 and 17%, with its flux increasing from 1.4 to 2.0 Jansky. Enhanced gamma ray activity was observed from the source on November 16, 2024.

Radio structure The source of QSO B1823+568 is classified as compact. Observations made by MERLIN described it as having a triple structure, made up of a bright radio core connected by a radio emission bridge. There are two components located 1.1 and 1.4 milliarcseconds away, straddling the core. 84 GHz radio imaging showed a bare core instead with an estimated flux density of 485 mJy. High polarization was also detected in the core based on polarization images made by Very Long Baseline Interferometry. QSO B1823+568 has an extended jet towards the south-east direction. When revealed through 43 GHz imaging, the jet displays a rich structure on a scale of 14 parsecs and has four identified jet components, detected through a 15 GHz radio image. These components contain jet knots. Two of the knots are moving at superluminal speeds while the other two are stationary. The jet at 43 GHz, instead shows fast-moving knots with implications of a resolved underlying flow. Faraday rotation was detected in the jet with a rotation measure of −200 ± 88 rad m−2. Very Large Array imaging have showed the jet to bend northeast, forming a lobe at the position angle of 95° and appearing to have a longitudinal magnetic field.

Quasi-periodic oscillation In 2022, QSO B1823+568 was shown to undergo a quasi-periodic oscillation with a variability period of 283+17-13 days, equivalent to more than 10 days but less than a year. Based on observations, this is likely explained by a nonballistic helical jet motion driven by orbital motion in a binary supermassive black hole system lying in the center of the quasar. The mass of the primary supermassive black hole is estimated to be between 1.92 billion M☉ and 3.43 billion M☉.

References

External links QSO B1823+568 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images QSO B1823+568 on SIMBAD

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with QSO B1823+568

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what QSO B1823+568 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 B1823+568 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 B1823+568 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 B1823+568

In research: QSO B1823+568 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 B1823+568 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 B1823+568 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 4C objects, Active galaxies, Astronomical objects discovered in 1980, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for QSO B1823+568 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.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “QSO B1823+568” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study QSO B1823+568 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what QSO B1823+568 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 B1823+568 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is QSO B1823+568 in simple terms?

QSO B1823+568 is a BL Lacertae object located in the northern constellation of Draco. Its redshift is (z) 0.664 and it was first discovered as an astronomical radio source by A.N.

Why does QSO B1823+568 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 B1823+568?

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 B1823+568.