Quasars: The Brightest Beacons in the Universe

Quasars are powered by supermassive black holes feeding on surrounding gas and dust.
As matter falls in, it heats up and shines brighter than entire galaxies.
The word “quasar” comes from “quasi-stellar radio source,” since they first looked like stars.
Quasars can outshine a trillion Suns, making them the brightest objects in the universe.
Most quasars are found in the distant universe, showing us galaxies in their youth.
The energy from quasars comes from accretion disks spinning near light speed.
Some quasars blast out powerful jets stretching millions of light-years.
The light we see from them began its journey billions of years ago.
Quasars help astronomers map the early universe and study cosmic evolution.
Though rare today, they were far more common when galaxies and black holes were young.