The Brightest Quasars

Listed below are all 17 quasars with apparent magnitudes brighter than 15.0, according to the Sky Catalogue 2000.0, plus those 3 with peak brightness brighter 13.0 magnitudes according to John Isles' Webb Society Deep Sky Observer's Handbook Vol 8: Variable Stars.
BL Lacertae objects are marked BL.

Designat. Name     RA (2000.0) Dec       Con  mag     z      Notes

0026+129 PG 00:29:13.7 +13:16:04 Psc 14.78 0.142 0405-123 PKS 04:07:48.4 -12:11:37 Eri 14.82v 0.574 0521-365 PKS 05:22:57.9 -36:27:31 Col 14.62v 0.061 BL 0537-441 PKS 05:38:49.8 -44:05:09 Pic 16:48v 0.894 br 12.1 0735+178 OI 158 07:38:07.4 +17:42:21 Gem 14.85v 0.424 BL 0754+100 OI 090.4 07:57:06.7 +09:56:34 Cnc 14.5v BL 0754+394 1E 07:57:59.9 +39:20:27 Lyn 14.36 0.096 0851+202 OJ 287 08:54:48.9 +20:06:32 Cnc 14.0v 0.306? BL 1101+384 Mrk 421 11:04:27.3 +38:12:32 UMa 13.5v 0.031 BL br 12.0 1133+704 Mrk 180 11:36:26.8 +70:09:24 Dra 14.49v 0.046 BL 1219+755 Mrk 205 12:21:44.1 +75:18:37 Dra 14.5 0.070 1226+023 3C 273 12:29:06.8 +02:03:07 Vir 12.86v 0.158 br 11.7 1253-055 3C 279 12:56:11.2 -05:47:21 Vir 17.75v 0.538 br 11.0 1351+640 PG 13:53:15.8 +63:45:45 Dra 14.84 0.088 1510-089 PKS 15:12:50.6 -09:06:00 Lib 16.52v 0.361 br 11.6 1514-241 AP Lib 15:17:41.8 -24:22:19 Lib 14.8v 0.049 BL 1634+706 PG 16:34:29.0 +70:31:32 Dra 14.90p 1.334 1652+398 Mrk 501 16:53:52.2 +39:45:37 Her 13.88v 0.034 BL 2155-304 PKS 21:58:51.9 -30:13:30 PsA 13.09v 0.17 BL 2200+420 BL Lac 22:02:43.3 +42:16:40 Lac 14.72v 0.07 BL
Designations are formed from 1950.0 coordinates, Names are variable star names or entries from various catalogs (without number, the catalog lists the coordinates in column 1 as designation):
  • 1E: Einstein Satellite X-ray Survey, 1979-81
  • 3C: Third Cambridge Radio Catalogue, by A.S. Bennett, Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society 68, 163, 1962
  • Mrk: B.E. Markarian's study of compact blue objects, 1967
  • OA..OZ: Ohio State University radio source catalog, 1967-74
  • PG: Palomar-Green List of Bright Quasars, ApJ 269, 352, 1983
  • PKS: Parkes Radio Survey, 1969-75
  • RA/Dec coordinates for 2000.0, Con constellations, mag visual magnitudes (unless marked "p" for photographic) with "v" indicating variability, z redshift, Notes gives "BL" for BL Lacertaes and peak brightness (all but Mrk 421 from Isles).


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