---
title: "3C 273*"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/3c-273-star"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. 3C 273* [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/3c-273-star"
---

# 3C 273\*

3C 273\* is a quasar in the constellation [Virgo](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/virgo), 2.451 Gly from Earth. Its mass is 8.86×10⁸ M☉. It was discovered in 1963.

The engine of the first quasar ever identified. Bright enough to be seen in amateur telescopes despite being 2.4 billion light-years away.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Quasar
- **HOW FAR:** 2.451 Gly — A luminosity distance, from its redshift — how faint it looks. The light itself left 1.97 billion years ago.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Virgo](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/virgo) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Quasar |
| MASS | 8.86×10⁸ M☉ |
| DISTANCE FROM EARTH | 2.451 Gly — by luminosity distance from a published redshift, flat ΛCDM with H0 = 70 km/s/Mpc |
| CONSTELLATION | Virgo |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 12h 29m 06.7s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +02° 03′ 08.6″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1963 |

## Catalogue data

### WHAT KIND OF THING IT IS

What the object is in itself, rather than how it happens to look from here.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Accretion state | quasar — a thin disc near its Eddington limit |
| Mass | 8.86×10⁸ M☉ |

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Redshift (z) | 0.15756751 |
| Accretion plane inclination | 12° |

## Also known as

- Common name: 3C 273

## Source

[SpaceCatalog curated data](https://spacecatalog.org/releases) — CC-BY-4.0

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-curated

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. 3C 273\* \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/3c-273-star

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_3c-273-star,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{3C 273*}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/3c-273-star},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from SpaceCatalog curated data.}
}
```

SpaceCatalog curated data — CC-BY-4.0

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/3c-273-star