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This is 3C273. It changed our thinking about the universe.

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March 15, 2013

In visible light, 3C273 is the brightest quasar in our sky. Its name signifies that it was the 273rd object of the 1959 Third Cambridge Catalog of Radio Sources (3C). Exactly 50 years ago – on March 16 1963 – astronomer Maarten Schmidt of Caltech had a revelation about the nature of 3C273 that changed the way people think about the universe.

Read the amazing story of Maarten Schmidt and quasar 3C273 here.

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March 15, 2013

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Deborah Byrd

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Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.