Radio Quasar 3C215

This image shows the radio emission from relativistic streams of high energy particles generated by the quasar. Astronomers believe that the jets are fueled by material accreting onto a super-massive black hole at the center of the host galaxy (not shown in this image). The high energy particles are shot into extragalactic space at speeds approaching the speed of light, where they eventually balloon into massive radio lobes. The overall linear size of the radio structure is 196/h kpc (Hubble constant H = 100h km/s/Mpc). This quasar shows an unusual plume-like structure. The jet is extremely twisted and knotty, and there is a possible bent counterjet in the North lobe. The structure is unusually distorted on all scales.

This quasar is at a redshift z=0.411. VLA 4.9 GHz image at 0.9 arcsec resolution.

Legacy Astronomical Images

NRAO/AUI/NSF does not hold full copyright for this image. Contact the archivist for details.

Legacy Astronomical Image

3C215

Alan H. Bridle, David H. Hough, Colin J. Lonsdale, Jack O. Burns, Robert A. Laing

Very Large Array (VLA)

1987-07-11

continuum

C

6 cm

5.0 GHz

RA 9:6:31.880, Dec: 16:46:11.700 (J2000)

0.016700 x 0.016700 degrees

Active Galactic Nuclei Series

Quasars Unit