---
title: "PDS 456"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/pds-456"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. PDS 456 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/pds-456"
---

# PDS 456

PDS 456 is a quasar in the constellation [Serpens](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/serpens), 2.907 Gly from Earth. It was discovered in 1997.

The most luminous quasar in the local universe. Its wind leaves at about a quarter of the speed of light and carries more energy than the surrounding [galaxy](https://spacecatalog.org/galaxies) can absorb, which is the clearest single case of a [black hole](https://spacecatalog.org/black-holes) limiting the growth of its own host.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Quasar
- **HOW FAR:** 2.907 Gly — A luminosity distance, from its redshift — how faint it looks. The light itself left 2.26 billion years ago.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Serpens](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/serpens) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Quasar |
| DISTANCE FROM EARTH | 2.907 Gly — by luminosity distance from a published redshift, flat ΛCDM with H0 = 70 km/s/Mpc |
| CONSTELLATION | Serpens |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 17h 28m 19.8s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | −14° 15′ 55.9″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1997 |

## 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 |

### 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) | 0.184 |

## Also known as

- Common name: PDS 456

## 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. PDS 456 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/pds-456

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_pds-456,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{PDS 456}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/pds-456},
  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/pds-456