quasar
nounUK /ˈkweɪ.zɑː/ · US /ˈkweɪ.zɑɹ/
Etymology Blend of quasi- + stellar, from quasi-stellar radio source. Coined by American astrophysicist Hong-Yee Chiu in 1964 in an article in Physics Today. By surface analysis, quasi- + -ar.
1
Astronomy, Natural sciences An extragalactic object, starlike in appearance, that is among the most luminous and (putatively) the most distant objects in the universe.
- Synonyms
- Q, QSO, quasi-stellar object, quasistellar object, QSR, quasi-stellar radio source, quasistellar radio-source, quasi-stellar radio-source, quasistellar radio source, blue stellar object, BSO, QSS, quasi-stellar source, quasistellar source
- Derived terms
- binary quasar, double quasar, giant quasar, large quasar group, microquasar, quasarlike, twin quasar
- Related terms
- -ar, quasi-, quasistar, quasi-star, quasistellar, quasi-stellar, AGN, active galactic nucleus, active galaxy, pulsar, RIQ, RLQ, RQQ
- Hyponyms
- blazar, BL Lac, BL Lac object, OVV, OVV quasar, quasar 1, quasar 2, quasar I, quasar II