
Calar
Alto participates in a multi-observatory effort to study the most
luminous quasar ever observed. The object,
radio quasar 3C 454.3 in the
constellation Pegasus, experienced during 2005 a strong optical
outburst that made it observable even with amateur instrumentation (reaching
R = 12 mag). According to the
WEBT team, "this ourburst peak likely represents the most luminous quasar state
ever observed". The same team quantified the maximum luminosity of this
object as
MB = -31.4 mag. This means that, at its maximum and when
observed in blue light, 3C 454.3 was as bright as 550 billions of suns
put together...