This article contains lists of quasars. More than a million quasars have been observed, so any list on Wikipedia is necessarily a selection of them.
Proper naming of quasars is by Catalogue Entry, Qxxxx±yy using B1950 coordinates, or QSO Jxxxx±yyyy using J2000 coordinates. They may also use the prefix QSR. There are currently no quasars that are visible to the naked eye.
List of quasars
This is a list of exceptional quasars for characteristics otherwise not separately listed
| Quasar | Notes |
|---|---|
| Twin Quasar | Associated with a possible planet microlensing event in the gravitational lens galaxy that is doubling the Twin Quasar's image. |
| QSR J1819+3845 | Proved interstellar scintillation due to the interstellar medium. |
| CTA-102 | In 1965, Soviet astronomer Nikolai S. Kardashev declared that this quasar was sending coded messages from an alien civilization. |
| CID-42 | Its supermassive black hole is being ejected and will one day become a displaced quasar. |
| TON 618 | TON 618 is a very distant and extremely luminous quasar—technically, a hyperluminous, broad-absorption line, radio-loud quasar—located near the North Galactic Pole in the constellation Canes Venatici. |
List of named quasars
This is a list of quasars, with a common name, instead of a designation from a survey, catalogue or list.
| Quasar | Origin of name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Quasar | From the fact that two images of the same quasar are produced by gravitational lensing. | |
| Einstein Cross | From the fact that gravitational lensing of the quasar forms a near perfect Einstein cross, a concept in gravitational lensing. | |
| Triple Quasar | From the fact that there are three bright images of the same gravitationally lensed quasar. | There are actually four images; the fourth is faint. |
| Cloverleaf | From its appearance having similarity to the leaf of a clover. It has been gravitationally lensed into four images, of roughly similar appearance. | |
| Teacup Galaxy | The name comes from the shape of the extended emission, which is shaped like the handle of a teacup. The handle is a bubble shaped by quasar winds or small-scale radio jets. | Low redshift, highly obscured type 2 quasar. |
| Pōniuāʻena | The third most distant quasar known as of 2025, named for its early formation at most 100 million years after the Big Bang. | Named as part of the A Hua He Inoa program by the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center. |
List of multiply imaged quasars
This is a list of quasars that as a result of gravitational lensing appear as multiple images on Earth.
| Quasar | Images | Lens | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Quasar | 2 | YGKOW G1 | First gravitationally lensed object discovered |
| Triple Quasar (PG 1115+080) | 4 | Originally discovered as 3 lensed images, the fourth image is faint. It was the second gravitationally lensed quasar discovered. | |
| Einstein Cross | 4 | Huchra's Lens | First Einstein Cross discovered |
| RX J1131-1231's quasar | 4 | RX J1131-1231's elliptical galaxy | RX J1131-1231 is the name of the complex, quasar, host galaxy and lensing galaxy, together. The quasar's host galaxy is also lensed into a Chwolson ring about the lensing galaxy. The four images of the quasar are embedded in the ring image. |
| Cloverleaf | 4 | Brightest known high-redshift source of CO emission | |
| QSO B1359+154 | 6 | CLASS B1359+154 and three more galaxies | First sextuply-imaged galaxy |
| SDSS J1004+4112 | 5 | Galaxy cluster at z = 0.68 | First quasar discovered to be multiply image-lensed by a galaxy cluster and currently the third largest quasar lens with the separation between images of 15″ |
| SDSS J1029+2623 | 3 | Galaxy cluster at z = 0.6 | The current largest-separation quasar lens with 22.6″ separation between furthest images |
| SDSS J2222+2745 | 6 | Galaxy cluster at z = 0.49 | First sextuply-lensed galaxy Third quasar discovered to be lensed by a galaxy cluster. Quasar located at z = 2.82 |
| RX J0911.4+0551 | 4 | Galaxy located at z = 0.76 | Gravitationally lensed object discovered by the ROSAT All-Sky survey in 1997. Quasar located at z = 2.800. |
| CLASS B1152+199 | 2 | Galaxy located at z = 0.43 | |
| HE 1104-1805 | 2 | Galaxy located at z = 0.72 | Also known as Double Hamburger. |
| HE 2149-2745 | 2 | Galaxy at z = 0.60 | Gravitationally lensed broad absorption object (BAL) at z = 2.033 |
| FBQ 0951+2635 | 2 | Galaxy located at z = 0.26 | |
| HE0435-1223 | 4 | Elliptical galaxy of HE0435-1223 at z = 0.45 | Quasar located at z = 1.689. Components arranged in cross figuration. |
| SBS 0909+532 | 2 | Lens galaxy of SBS 0909+532 at z = 0.83 | Originally interpreted as a binary quasar but later revealed as a gravitationally lensed object. |
| UM 673 | 2 | Lens galaxy at z = 0.49 | Quasar located at at z = 2.71, first discovered by J. Surdej (1988) |
| CTQ 327 | 2 | Lens galaxy between z = 0.4 and z= 0.6 | |
| CTQ 414 | 2 | Discovered in 1999. Quasar located at z = 1.29. | |
| HE 0230-2130 | 5 | Complex lensed system. Quasar located at z = 2.130. | |
| SDSS J1001+5027 | 2 | Lens galaxy at z = 0.3 | |
| SDSS J1206+4332 | 2 | Lens galaxy at z = 0.74 | |
| SDSS J0246-0825 | 2 | Lens galaxy at z = 0.724 | Discovered by Scott Burles (2005). |
| SDSS J0904+1512 | 2 | Discovered in the SDSS Quasar Lens Search (2010) | |
| SDSS J1054+2733 | 2 | Discovered in the SDSS Quasar Lens Search (2010) | |
| SDSS J1620+1203 | 2 | Lens galaxy at z = 0.39 | Discovered in the SDSS Quasar Lens Search (2010). Quasar located at z = 1.158 |
| SDSS J0746+4403 | 2 | Lens galaxy at z = 0.513 | Discovered in 2007. Quasar located at z = 2.00 |
List of visual quasar associations
This is a list of double quasars, triple quasars, and the like, where quasars are close together in line-of-sight, but not physically related.
| Quasars | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
QSO 1548+115
| 2 | |
| QSO 1146+111 | 8 | |
| z represents redshift, a measure of recessional velocity and inferred distance due to cosmological expansion | ||
List of physical quasar groups
This is a list of binary quasars, trinary quasars, and the like, where quasars are physically close to each other.
| Quasars | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| quasars of SDSS J0841+3921 protocluster | 4 | First quasar quartet discovered. |
| LBQS 1429-008 (QQQ 1432-0106) | 3 | First quasar triplet discovered. It was first discovered as a binary quasar, before the third quasar was found. |
QQ2345+007 (Q2345+007)
| 2 | Originally thought to be a doubly imaged quasar, but actually a quasar couplet. |
| QQQ J1519+0627 | 3 |
Large Quasar Groups
Large quasar groups (LQGs) are bound to a filament of mass, and not directly bound to each other.
| LQG | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Webster LQG (LQG 1) | 5 | First LQG discovered. At the time of its discovery, it was the largest structure known. |
| Huge-LQG (U1.27) | 73 | The largest structure known in the observable universe, as of 2013. |
List of quasars with apparent superluminal jet motion
This is a list of quasars with jets that appear to be superluminal due to relativistic effects and line-of-sight orientation. Such quasars are sometimes referred to as superluminal quasars.
| Quasar | Superluminality | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3C 279 | 4c | First quasar discovered with superluminal jets |
| 3C 179 | 7.6c | Fifth discovered, first with double lobes |
| 3C 273 | This is also the first quasar ever identified | |
| 3C 216 | ||
| 3C 345 | ||
| 3C 380 | ||
| 4C 69.21 (Q1642+690, QSO B1642+690) | ||
| 4C 39.25 | ||
| 4C 38.41 | ||
| 8C 1928+738 (Q1928+738, QSO J1927+73, Quasar J192748.6+735802) | ||
| PKS 0637-752 |
Quasars that have a recessional velocity greater than the speed of light (c) are very common. Any quasar with z > 1 is receding faster than c, while z exactly equal to 1 indicates recession at the speed of light. Early attempts to explain superluminal quasars resulted in convoluted explanations with a limit of z = 2.326, or in the extreme z < 2.4. The majority of quasars lie between z = 2 and z = 5.
Firsts
| Title | Quasar | Year | Data | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First quasar discovered | 3C 48 | 1960 | First radio source for which optical identification was found, that was a star-like looking object | |
| First "star" discovered later found to be a quasar | ||||
| First radio source discovered later found to be a quasar | ||||
| First quasar identified | 3C 273 | 1962 | First radio-"star" found to be at a high redshift with a non-stellar spectrum. | |
| First radio-quiet quasar | QSO B1246+377 (BSO 1) | 1965 | The first radio-quiet quasi-stellar objects (QSO) were called Blue Stellar Objects or BSO, because they appeared like stars and were blue in color. They also had spectra and redshifts like radio-loud quasi-stellar radio-sources (QSR), so became quasars. | |
| First host galaxy of a quasar discovered | 3C 48 | 1982 | ||
| First quasar found to seemingly not have a host galaxy | HE0450-2958 (Naked Quasar) | 2005 | Some disputed observations suggest a host galaxy, others do not. | |
| First multi-core quasar | PG 1302-102 | 2014 | Binary supermassive black holes within the quasar | |
| First quasar containing a recoiling supermassive black hole | SDSS J0927+2943 | 2008 | Two optical emission line systems separated by 2650 km/s | |
| First gravitationally lensed quasar identified | Twin Quasar | 1979 | Lensed into 2 images | The lens is a galaxy known as YGKOW G1 |
| First quasar found with a jet with apparent superluminal motion | 3C 279 | 1971 | ||
| First quasar found with the classic double radio-lobe structure | 3C 47 | 1964 | ||
| First quasar found to be an X-ray source | 3C 273 | 1967 | ||
| First "dustless" quasar found | QSO J0303-0019 and QSO J0005-0006 | 2010 | ||
| First Large Quasar Group discovered | Webster LQG (LQG 1) | 1982 |
Extremes
| Title | Quasar | Data | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightest | 3C 273 | Apparent magnitude of ~12.9 | Absolute magnitude: −26.7 |
| Seemingly optically brightest | APM 08279+5255 | Seeming absolute magnitude of −32.2 | This quasar is gravitationally lensed; its actual absolute magnitude is estimated to be −30.5 |
| Most luminous | SMSS J215728.21-360215.1 | Absolute magnitude of −32.36 | Highest absolute magnitude discovered thus far. |
| Most powerful quasar radio source | 3C 273 | Also the most powerful radio source in the sky | |
| Most powerful | SMSS J215728.21-360215.1 | ||
| Most variable quasar radio source | QSO J1819+3845 (Q1817+387) | Also the most variable extrasolar radio source | |
| Least variable quasar radio source | |||
| Most variable quasar optical source | |||
| Least variable quasar optical source | |||
| Most distant | UHZ1 | z = 10.1 | Most distant quasar known as of 2023 |
| Most distant radio-quiet quasar | |||
| Most distant radio-loud quasar | QSO J1427+3312 | z = 6.12 | Found June 2008 |
| Most distant blazar quasar | PSO J0309+27 | z > 6 | |
| Least distant | Markarian 231 | 600 Mly | inactive: IC 2497 |
| Largest Large Quasar Group | Huge-LQG (U1.27) | 73 quasars | |
| Fastest Growing Quasar | SMSS J052915.80–435152.0 (QSO J0529-4351) | ~ 413 solar masses per year (using standard radiative efficiency); ~ 370 solar masses per year (using best-fit slim disc model) |
First quasars found
| Rank | Quasar | Date of discovery | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3C 273 | 1963 | |
| 2 | 3C 48 | 1963 | |
| 3 | 3C 47 | 1964 | |
| 3 | 3C 147 | 1964 | |
| 5 | CTA 102 | 1965 | |
| 5 | 3C 287 | 1965 | |
| 5 | 3C 254 | 1965 | |
| 5 | 3C 245 | 1965 | |
| 5 | 3C 9 | 1965 | |
| These are the first quasars which were found and had their redshifts determined. | |||
Most distant quasars
In 1964 a quasar became the most distant object in the universe for the first time. Quasars would remain the most distant objects in the universe until 1997, when a pair of non-quasar galaxies would take the title (galaxies CL 1358+62 G1 & CL 1358+62 G2 lensed by galaxy cluster CL 1358+62).
In cosmic scales distance is usually indicated by redshift (denoted by z) which is a measure of recessional velocity and inferred distance due to cosmological expansion.
| Quasar | Distance | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UHZ1 | z = 10.1 | Most distant quasar known as of 2023[update] | |
| QSO J0313–1806 | z = 7.64 | Former most distant quasar. | |
| ULAS J1342+0928 | z = 7.54 | Former most distant quasar. | |
| Pōniuāʻena (Q J1007+2115) | z = 7.52 | ||
| ULAS J1120+0641 (ULAS J112001.48+064124.3) | z = 7.085 | Former most distant quasar. First quasar with z > 7. | |
| DELS J003836.10-152723.6 | z = 7.02 | ||
| HSC J235646.33+001747.3 | z = 7.01 | ||
| DES J025216.64-050331.8 | z = 7.00 | ||
| CHFQS J2348-3054 (CHFQS J234833.34-305410.0) | z = 6.90 | ||
| PSO J172.3556+18.7734 | z = 6.82 | Currently the most distant radio-loud known quasar | |
| HSC J135012.04-002705.2 | z = 6.49 | ||
| CFHQS J2329-0301 (CFHQS J232908-030158) | z = 6.43 | Former most distant quasar. | |
| SDSS J114816.64+525150.3 (SDSS J1148+5251) | z = 6.419 | Former most distant quasar. | |
| SDSS J1030+0524 (SDSSp J103027.10+052455.0) | z = 6.28 | Former most distant quasar. First quasar with z > 6. | |
| SDSS J104845.05+463718.3 (QSO J1048+4637) | z = 6.23 | ||
| SDSS J162331.81+311200.5 (QSO J1623+3112) | z = 6.22 | ||
| CFHQS J0033-0125 (CFHQS J003311-012524) | z = 6.13 | ||
| SDSS J125051.93+313021.9 (QSO J1250+3130) | z = 6.13 | ||
| CFHQS J1509-1749 (CFHQS J150941-174926) | z = 6.12 | ||
| QSO B1425+3326 / QSO J1427+3312 | z = 6.12 | Most distant radio-quasar. | |
| SDSS J160253.98+422824.9 (QSO J1602+4228) | z = 6.07 | ||
| SDSS J163033.90+401209.6 (QSO J1630+4012) | z = 6.05 | ||
| CFHQS J1641+3755 (CFHQS J164121+375520) | z = 6.04 | ||
| SDSS J113717.73+354956.9 (QSO J1137+3549) | z = 6.01 | ||
| SDSS J081827.40+172251.8 (QSO J0818+1722) | z = 6.00 | ||
| SDSSp J130608.26+035626.3 (QSO J1306+0356) | z = 5.99 | ||
| |||
| Type | Quasar | Date | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most distant | UHZ1 | 2023 | z = 10.2 | |
| Most distant radio loud quasar | QSO B1425+3326 / QSO J1427+3312 | 2008 | z = 6.12 | |
| Most distant radio quiet quasar | ||||
| Most distant OVV quasar |
| Quasar | Date | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UHZ1 | 2023– | z = 10.2 | Current distance record holder |
| QSO J0313−1806 | 2021–2023 | z = 7.64 | |
| ULAS J1342+0928 | 2017–2021 | z = 7.54 | |
| ULAS J1120+0641 | 2011–2017 | z = 7.085 | Not the most distant object when discovered. First quasar with z > 7. |
| CFHQS J2329-0301 (CFHQS J232908-030158) | 2007–2011 | z = 6.43 | Not the most distant object when discovered. It did not exceed IOK-1 (z = 6.96), which was discovered in 2006. |
| SDSS J114816.64+525150.3 (SDSS J1148+5251) | 2003–2007 | z = 6.419 | Not the most distant object when discovered. It did not exceed HCM 6A galaxy lensed by Abell 370 at z = 6.56, discovered in 2002. Also discovered around the time of discovery was a new most distant galaxy, SDF J132418.3+271455 at z = 6.58. |
| SDSS J1030+0524 (SDSSp J103027.10+052455.0) | 2001–2003 | z = 6.28 | Most distant object when discovered. First object with z > 6. |
| SDSS 1044-0125 (SDSSp J104433.04-012502.2) | 2000–2001 | z = 5.82 | Most distant object when discovered. It exceeded galaxy SSA22-HCM1 (z = 5.74; discovered in 1999) as the most distant object. |
| RD300 (RD J030117+002025) | 2000 | z = 5.50 | Not the most distant object when discovered. It did not surpass galaxy SSA22-HCM1 (z = 5.74; discovered in 1999). |
| SDSSp J120441.73−002149.6 (SDSS J1204-0021) | 2000 | z = 5.03 | Not the most distant object when discovered. It did not surpass galaxy SSA22-HCM1 (z = 5.74; discovered in 1999). |
| SDSSp J033829.31+002156.3 (QSO J0338+0021) | 1998–2000 | z = 5.00 | First quasar discovered with z > 5. Not the most distant object when discovered. It did not surpass galaxy BR1202-0725 LAE (z = 5.64; discovered earlier in 1998). |
| PC 1247+3406 | 1991–1998 | z = 4.897 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| PC 1158+4635 | 1989–1991 | z = 4.73 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| Q0051-279 | 1987–1989 | z = 4.43 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| Q0000-26 (QSO B0000-26) | 1987 | z = 4.11 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| PC 0910+5625 (QSO B0910+5625) | 1987 | z = 4.04 | Most distant object when discovered; second quasar with z > 4. |
| Q0046–293 (QSO J0048-2903) | 1987 | z = 4.01 | Most distant object when discovered; first quasar with z > 4. |
| Q1208+1011 (QSO B1208+1011) | 1986–1987 | z = 3.80 | Most distant object when discovered and a gravitationally-lensed double-image quasar. From the time of discovery to 1991, had the least angular separation between images, 0.45″. |
| PKS 2000-330 (QSO J2003-3251, Q2000-330) | 1982–1986 | z = 3.78 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| OQ172 (QSO B1442+101) | 1974–1982 | z = 3.53 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| OH471 (QSO B0642+449) | 1973–1974 | z = 3.408 | Most distant object when discovered; first quasar with z > 3. Nicknamed "the blaze marking the edge of the universe". |
| 4C 05.34 | 1970–1973 | z = 2.877 | Most distant object when discovered. The redshift was so much greater than the previous record that it was believed to be erroneous, or spurious. |
| 5C 02.56 (7C 105517.75+495540.95) | 1968–1970 | z = 2.399 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| 4C 25.05 (4C 25.5) | 1968 | z = 2.358 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| PKS 0237-23 (QSO B0237-2321) | 1967–1968 | z = 2.225 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| 4C 12.39 (Q1116+12, PKS 1116+12) | 1966–1967 | z = 2.1291 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| 4C 01.02 (Q0106+01, PKS 0106+1) | 1965–1966 | z = 2.0990 | Most distant object when discovered. |
| 3C 9 | 1965 | z = 2.018 | Most distant object when discovered; first quasar with z > 2. |
| 3C 147 | 1964–1965 | z = 0.545 | First quasar to become the most distant object in the universe, beating radio galaxy 3C 295. |
| 3C 48 | 1963–1964 | z = 0.367 | Second quasar redshift measured. Redshift was discovered after publication of 3C273's results prompted researchers to re-examine spectroscopic data. Not the most distant object when discovered. The radio galaxy 3C 295 was found in 1960 with z = 0.461. |
| 3C 273 | 1963 | z = 0.158 | First quasar redshift measured. Not the most distant object when discovered. The radio galaxy 3C 295 was found in 1960 with z = 0.461. |
Most powerful quasars
| Rank | Quasar | Data | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMSS J215728.21-360215.1 | Intrinsic bolometric luminosity of ~ 6.9 × 1014 Suns or ~ 2.6 × 1041 watts | |
| 2 | HS 1946+7658 | Intrinsic bolometric luminosity in excess of 1014 Suns or 1041 watts | |
| 3 | SDSS J155152.46+191104.0 | Luminosity of over 1041 watts | |
| 4 | HS 1700+6416 | Luminosity of over 1041 watts | |
| 5 | SDSS J010013.02+280225.8 | Luminosity of around 1.62 × 1041 watts | |
| 6 | SBS 1425+606 | Luminosity of over 1041 watts – optically brightest for z>3 | |
| J1144-4308 | Luminosity of 4.7 × 1040 watts or M_i(z=2) = −29.74 mag, optically brightest in last 9 Gyr | ||
| SDSS J074521.78+473436.2 | |||
| S5 0014+813 | |||
| SDSS J160455.39+381201.6 | z = 2.51, M(i) = 15.84 | ||
| SDSS J085543.40-001517.7 |
See also
- List of microquasars
- Lists of astronomical objects
- List of galaxies
- List of black holes
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