Quasar

Extremely luminous active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole.

QSO

A quasar (quasi-stellar radio source) is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus. They are powered by supermassive black holes at the centers of distant galaxies, accreting matter which releases enormous amounts of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum.

The term 'quasar' is a portmanteau of "quasi" and "stellar," reflecting their initial appearance as star-like objects in radio wave observations.

Quasars are like super bright, distant lighthouses in space powered by giant black holes eating nearby stars.

quasi-stellar radio source

active galactic nucleus

galaxy

astronomical object celestial body