Artist Illustration of Early-Universe Quasar Cosmic Neighborhood

Observations using the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope confirm astronomers’ expectation that early-Universe quasars formed in regions of space densely populated with smaller companion galaxies. DECam’s exceptionally wide field of view and special filters played a crucial role in reaching this conclusion, and the observations reveal why previous studies seeking to characterize the density of early-Universe quasar neighborhoods have yielded conflicting results.

Credit:

NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Garlick/J. da Silva (Spaceengine)/M. Zamani

About the Image

Id:noirlab2422a
Type:Artwork
Release date:Sept. 23, 2024, 9 a.m.
Related releases:noirlab2422
Size:6000 x 5473 px

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