6 replies to this topic

[lwbehney]

Sky Safari shows an optical companion to the Quasar 3C 273. It is labeled as HIP 60936 and I am guesstimating that it is < 5 arc seconds distant from the Quasar, based upon stretching the screen on my tablet. HIP 60936 is reported in S.Safari 6 as having a magnitude of 12.88 and lists 3C 273 as magnitude 12.85. 

The sky has briefly cleared of clouds and smoke and I want to go after it tonight. The published magnitude limit of my six inch refractor is 12.8, so this will be iffy in my refractor even using high magnification, with the Moon brightening the background sky to make this quest more challenging. 

But, just in case I can locate this "double", can anyone who has viewed this Quasar recently tell me if the published values are misleading and one of the two is noticeably brighter than the other?

Thanks.

[Keith Rivich]

I'll have to do a little research on this but I believe HIP 60936 is 3C 273. One and the same. I could (and probably will) be wrong!

[David Knisely]

Here is the finder field for 3C-273:

 

[David Knisely]

And here is a bit wider field (from the DSS images): 

 

Edited by David Knisely, 08 June 2025 - 10:11 PM.

[RichA]

Sky Safari shows an optical companion to the Quasar 3C 273. It is labeled as HIP 60936 and I am guesstimating that it is < 5 arc seconds distant from the Quasar, based upon stretching the screen on my tablet. HIP 60936 is reported in S.Safari 6 as having a magnitude of 12.88 and lists 3C 273 as magnitude 12.85. 

The sky has briefly cleared of clouds and smoke and I want to go after it tonight. The published magnitude limit of my six inch refractor is 12.8, so this will be iffy in my refractor even using high magnification, with the Moon brightening the background sky to make this quest more challenging. 

But, just in case I can locate this "double", can anyone who has viewed this Quasar recently tell me if the published values are misleading and one of the two is noticeably brighter than the other?

Thanks.

I saw 3C273 in a 15 inch Newtonian, I don't remember seeing a companion

[Keith Rivich]

When I put the Hipparchus number in Megastar it took me to 3c 273, but slightly offset as noted by the OP. I looked at several high res images and could see no sign of a companion. The host galaxy, yes. The jet, yes. Any companion, no. I have looked at the quasar many times trying to see the host galaxy and the jet, so I have taken a pretty critical look. I do not remember ever seeing a companion star. 

[david_od]

3C273 is indeed the same as HIP 60936.

See those and other identifiers here:

https://vsx.aavso.or....top&oid=185255

 

Consider also that it's a variable source, and it has quoted values from mag 12.20 to 13.57. Sometimes, it does flare.

Recent visual estimations (from AAVSO data) are typically in the range between 13.2 and 13.5.

Edited by david_od, 08 June 2025 - 10:12 PM.