>>In 1999, I posted an observing report on QSO 1946+769, a mag 16
>>quasar in Draco with a red shift of 3.05. Depending on the
>>cosmological model, that puts it at a distance of about 11 billion
>>light years. I had searched for other farther candidates without
>>success, and concluded that this quasar was likely the farthest
>>object I would ever see through my scope. I am now happy to report
>>that I was wrong.
>>
>>THE GOOD:
>>It turns out that quasars are on the cutting edge of astronomy.
>>New data is being collected and published all the time. Last
>>month, my frequent fellow observer, David (Doc) Silva, found a
>>quasar listed in SkyTools that was not in my older MegaStar
>>database, nor in any of the lists I had culled from various sources
>>a few years back. David's find was QSO 1425+606, a mag 16 quasar
>>in Draco with a red shift of 3.2. An internet search confirmed the
>>SkyTools data. QSO 1425 is ideally placed at this time of year.
>>
>>Dick Flasck
Great report, Dick (including the quest itself, the ingenuity in the
field, and the writing)!
I also enjoy chasing "mind candy" with a telescope. For further
pushing of age and distance limits, try quasar APM 08279+5255 ( RA
08h31m41.593s DEC +52d45m17.01s in Lynx). This has an even larger
red shift of 3.87, but has a surprisingly easy visual magnitude
around 15.2. it helps that APM 08279+5255 has been described as one
of "the brightest objects yet known in the universe" (see
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980818.html).
I first tracked this down from Dino Point in 2003, and have not yet
been able to find any other objects with a larger redshift for visual
hunting with a midsize Dob.
David Kingsley
Received on Sun Jul 25 13:00:21 2004