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High-Redshift Quasar and Companion Galaxy (Illustration)

Illustration of High-Redshift Quasar and Companion Galaxy

This artist’s illustration portrays two galaxies that existed in the first billion years of the universe. The larger galaxy at left hosts a brilliant quasar at its center, whose glow is powered by hot matter surrounding a supermassive black hole. Scientists calculate that the resolution and infrared sensitivity of NASA’s upcoming James Webb Space Telescope will allow it to detect a dusty host galaxy like this despite the quasar’s searchlight beam.

  • Release Date
    October 14, 2020
  • Science Release
    Simulations Show Webb Telescope Can Reveal Distant Galaxies Hidden in Quasars’ Glare
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Image: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

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Related Images & Videos

Graphic of four images of equal size. The top two are labeled “Webb” and the bottom two are labeled “Hubble.” The two images at left show a host galaxy. The two images at right show a host galaxy and a quasar.

Simulated Infrared Images from Webb and Hubble

These simulated images show how a quasar and its host galaxy would appear to NASA’s upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (top) and Hubble Space Telescope (bottom) at infrared wavelengths of 1.5 and 1.6 microns, respectively. Webb’s larger mirror will provide more than 4 times the...

Zoom Into BlueTides Universe Simulation

Zoom Into BlueTides Universe Simulation

This video zooms into a highly detailed simulation of the universe called BlueTides. Much like the iconic Powers of Ten video, each step covers a distance 10 times smaller than the previous one. The first frame spans about 200 million light-years while the fourth and final frame...

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Image Credit

NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

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