Observing Extreme Astrophysical Objects

Craig Cortis'
Observing Extreme Astrophysical Objects

Can You Find a Quasar? (You Might be Surprised)

: By Craig Cortis
Readers having 8” or larger telescopes might wish to observe a quasar, provided you can follow a detailed finder chart and manage to isolate a 12.8 magnitude object that looks exactly like a star, but actually is not. Rather it’s the brightest known quasar and, at a distance of 2.5 billion light years, will be by far and away the most distant thing in the universe most of you will ever see in your lives.

Cygnus X-1: A Black Hole You Can Find!

: By Craig Cortis
Unusual celestial objects having bizarre or extreme astrophysical properties often make highly desirable observing targets for amateur astronomers wishing to find things outside the scope of the usual, customary star party “menu”. So how do you find something that even the Hubble Space Telescope can’t image in visible light? The answer is surprisingly simple and is my topic for this month.