3C 454.3

Short description: Blazar and strong gamma ray source

3C 454.3

SDSS image of 3C 454.3

Observation data (Epoch J2000)
Constellation| Pegasus
Right ascension|  22h 53m 57.7s[1]
Declination| +16° 08′ 53.6″[1]
Redshift| 0.859001 ± 0.000170[1]
Distance| 7.7 Gly
Type| Blazar/Quasar
Apparent magnitude (V)| 16.1[1]
See also: Quasar,List of quasars]]

3C 454.3 is a blazar (a type of quasar with a jet oriented toward Earth) located away from the galactic plane. It is one of the brightest gamma ray sources in the sky,[2] and is one of the most luminous astronomical object ever observed, with a maximum absolute magnitude of -31.4.[3] It has the brightest blazar gamma ray flare recorded, twice as bright as the Vela Pulsar in the Milky Way galaxy. It also flares at radio and visible wavelengths – in red light, the blazar brightened by more than 2.5 times to magnitude 13.7 – and it is very bright at high radio frequencies.[4]

It appears in Pegasus, near Alpha Pegasi (Markab). It has been known to occasionally outburst, brightening to a peak apparent magnitude of 13.4 in June 2014.[5][6]

It is possible that a binary supermassive black hole might lie in the center of 3C 454.3 based on observations.[7] Additionally, it has a bright radio core and radio jet described as one-sided, with its jet components moving in superluminal motion.[8][9] An arc-structure has also been detected on parsec-scales around the region of its core.[10]

## History

In July and August 2007, 3C 454.3 flared to near-historic levels, only two years after its record-breaking 2005 optical flare. Luckily, Spitzer Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory were already scheduled for simultaneous observations. Swift, RXTE and the new gamma-ray AGILE spacecraft responded to this target of opportunity, and were joined by observatories around the world.

The Fermi Large Area Telescope AGN science group started a multiwavelength campaign for blazar 3C454.3 (2251+158), in July and continuing through August 2007. This Ad Hoc Intensive Campaign (AIC) was prompted by brightening in the radio, optical and X-ray.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "3C 454.3". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=3C+454.3.
2. ↑ Atkinson, Nancy (11 March 2009). "Top Ten Gamma Ray Sources From the Fermi Telescope". http://www.universetoday.com/26831/top-ten-gamma-ray-sources-from-the-fermi-telescope/.
3. ↑ "The most luminous quasar state ever observed". Calar Alto Observatory. http://www.caha.es/the-most-luminous-quasar-state-ever-observed.html.
4. ↑ "NASA - Fermi Sees Brightest-Ever Blazar Flare". http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GLAST/news/brightest-blazar.html.
5. ↑ King, Bob (24 June 2014). "Observing Alert: Distant Blazar 3C 454.3 in Outburst, Visible in Amateur Telescopes". http://www.universetoday.com/112744/observing-alert-distant-blazar-3c-454-3-in-outburst-visible-in-amateur-telescopes/.
6. ↑ "Light Curve Generator for 3C 454.3". American Association of Variable Star Observers. http://www.aavso.org/lcg/plot?auid=000-BDC-612&starname=3C+454.3&lastdays=30&start=06/15/2014&stop=&obscode=&obscode_symbol=2&obstotals=yes&calendar=calendar&forcetics=&grid=on&visual=on&uband=on&bband=on&v=on&pointsize=1&width=800&height=450&mag1=&mag2=&mean=&vmean=.
7. ↑ Volvach, A. E.; Volvach, L. N.; Larionov, M. G. (2021-04-01). "Most massive double black hole 3C 454.3 and powerful gravitational wave radiation" (in en). Astronomy & Astrophysics 648: A27. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039124. ISSN 0004-6361. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2021/04/aa39124-20/aa39124-20.html.
8. ↑ Marshall, H. L.; Schwartz, D. A.; Lovell, J. E. J.; Murphy, D. W.; Worrall, D. M. (August 2004). "A Chandra Survey of Quasar Jets: First Results". doi:10.1086/425578/fulltext/. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/425578/fulltext/.
9. ↑ Bach, U.; Raiteri, C. M.; Villata, M.; Fuhrmann, L.; Buemi, C. S.; Larionov, V. M.; Leto, P.; Arkharov, A. A. et al. (2007-03-01). "Multi-frequency monitoring of γ-ray loud blazars - I. Light curves and spectral energy distributions" (in en). Astronomy & Astrophysics 464 (1): 175–186. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066561. ISSN 0004-6361. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/pdf/2007/10/aa6561-06.pdf.
10. ↑ Britzen, S.; Qian, Shan-Jie; Witzel, A.; Krichbaum, T. P.; Aller, M.; Aller, H.; Kurtanidze, O.; Vercellone, S. et al. (August 2013). "2251+158 (3C 454.3): detection of an arc-like structure on parsec scales" (in en). Astronomy and Astrophysics 557: A37. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220147. ISSN 0004-6361. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013A&A...557A..37B/abstract.

## External links

* SIMBAD entry for 3C 454.3
* LSW Sky Map of 3C 454.3

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