Radio Galaxy Zoo Talk

Star with diffraction spikes: A Radio source ?

  • zutopian by zutopian

    Is the big blue object in the center of the Radio Zoo image associated with the star, which has diffraction spikes on the SDSS image ?
    I would say "yes", but the blue object is a radio source and there are 2 other radio sources !
    Or does the radio source belong to the object 1237671766926491711 ? What about the other 2 other sources ?

    enter image description here
    http://skyserver.sdss3.org/public/en/tools/explore/summary.aspx?id=1237671766926491711

    Posted

  • ivywong by ivywong scientist, admin

    It's always tough when a foreground star is reducing the depth and certainty of identifying background objects. I'd guessed that the central blueish object is real and behind the star. I suspect the other 2 may be background radio sources but I cannot be sure because WISE is as badly affected by the star in the foreground. đŸ˜¦

    Posted

  • JeanTate by JeanTate in response to ivywong's comment.

    The 'star' diffspiked in the SDSS image certainly seems to be the host of the bright compact radio source. Seems there are no counterparts to the other two sources, in gri SDSS (FIRST contours in red):

    enter image description here

    The Moiré-like patterns in two of the sets of contours are surely artifacts; I do not know how they are created.

    Boilerplate: SDSS image per http://skyservice.pha.jhu.edu/DR10/ImgCutout/getjpeg.aspx, FIRST contours derived from FITS files produced using SkyView with Python code described in this RGZ Talk thread. Image center per the ARG image (left; J2000).

    Posted

  • zutopian by zutopian in response to JeanTate's comment.

    The 'star' diffspiked in the SDSS image certainly seems to be the host of the bright compact radio source. Seems there are no counterparts to the other two sources, in gri SDSS (FIRST contours in red):

    Thanks for creating the image!

    Here is the SDSS image without contours.:

    enter image description here

    So in conclusion the small greenish object (DR10 says type galaxy), which overlaps the star with diffraction spikes, is the host of the radio source.:
    http://skyserver.sdss3.org/public/en/tools/explore/summary.aspx?id=1237671766926491711

    I guess, that it is a Quasar.

    Posted