Gamma Ray Quasars

Very energetic galaxies that lie at the outer reaches of the universe sometimes appear starlike and are called "quasi-stellar" objects, or quasars. The Compton Observatory established gamma-ray quasars as a class of sources--distant galaxies radiating mostly in gamma rays.

Quasars Compare the quasars in gamma rays versus visible light!


Scientists suspect that a supermassive black hole embedded in the quasar's core generates narrow jets of material that stream away at high speed. These jets emit in gamma rays thousands of times more energy than our Milky Way galaxy emits in all wavelengths.

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Viewing The Violent Universe was created by
Joslyn Schoemer, Stephanie Leitner and Tom Chi.

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