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Hot in the (Dutch) news today: quasar J0529-4351 may be the intrinsically brightest quasar known since it appears to be unlensed. Gaia G magnitudes hover around 16 making it visible in many of our telescopes. Has anyone tried? If not, who will be the first? Regrettably my 20" dob and me are separated by more than 10,000 km so I won't be able to try until I return to Chile.
Give it a go and let us know!
Wouter
According to this article the quasar has the following position: 82.3159º RA en -43.8645º DEC or 5h 29m 15.82s RA and -43º 51' 52.2" DEC.
The Gaia ID is 4805630493655815040 and it lies in the southern constellation Pictor. Here's an overview map created with SkySafari.
Attachment 5362
When will you be returning to Chile?
I would like to plan a trip there to observe southern objects, especially the globular clusters of the LMC and SMC.
Well, between Reeven's coordinates and the nice image from Earthsky.org to help me pinpoint the QSO, I took a look at it on DSS images. I'd say that if it was higher in the sky (it's in Pictor, 1* from the border with Columba), I'd probably be able to see it with my 16-inch. But, since it's not, it might take me more like a 24-inch to nab it. Too bad.
Scott H.
i have seen it along with 6 or 7 others down at Ozsky star safari it was one of the first nights of the star party ... the 10th and 11th of march ?
we used a obsession 25" f/5 scope and a 10mm pentex EP
it was not an easy find , but once we got the correct star field, it blinked into view consistently for a few seconds on the first night.
the seeing was better on the second night and was mainly steady .... not blinking at all
the others that viewed it if i remember right .... Vello Tabur, Bob Rose, Gary Kopff , Andew Murrell, and Lachlan Mcdonald
Matt