Quasars, Active and Compact Galaxies

Exotic Objects for Visual Observing

Active Galaxy 3C 120 = BW Tau = II Zw 14 = UGC 3087 = MCG 1-12-9 = PGC 15504 (Hanley & Shapley, 1940)

Why to observe these objects?

visual observing galaxies has a long tradition (Messier, Herschel, Lord Rosse, Stephan, Swift, Bigourdan, Tempel,...), NGC/IC
check and corretions of data (NGC/IC Project)
new challenges using larger and better telescopes (Dobson)

Targets

Quasars and BL Lacertae objects
AGN = „Active Galactic Nuclei" = Seyfert-Galaxies (M 77, NGC 4151), N-Galaxies

Physics

extreme luminosities (QSO: M > -23)
compact objects ("black holes"); stellar - non stellar
cosmological distances (billions of lightyears)

How many objects are known today (Veron 2000)?

Class	total	brighter than 16.5 mag
Quasars	13214	330
BL Lacertae	462	52
AGN	4428	1067

Scientific interest and cataloging starts in mid 50's (a few objects were known earlier): search for "faint blue stars", compact galaxies, UV-/emission linie-galaxies

Author	Objects	Catalogue	Year
Luyten, Haro	blue stars/galaxies	LB, Haro, Ton, PHL	1953, 1956, 1962
Zwicky	compact/eruptive galaxies	Zw	1960
Markarian	UV-galaxies	Mrk	1967
Arakelian	UV-galaxies	Akn	1971
Green, Schmidt	compact, blue objects	PG	1976
Berger	compact, blue objects	PB	1977
Kazarian	UV-galaxies	Kaz	1979

Recent observing programs of the workgroups "Visual Deep-Sky Observing" and "CCD Imaging"

"Quasars visually": QSO/AGN down to 16.5m (W. Steinicke, K. Wenzel)
"Galaxy Groups": double-/mulöiple galaxies (interaction, active components; W. Steinicke)
"Shakhbazian Galaxy Groups": compact groups of compact galaxies (A. Domenico)
"Hickson-Groups": compact groups of galaxies (R. Stoyan)

Basic data

Catalogue of Bright Quasars and BL Lacertae Objects (222 objects)
Observing List of Bright Quasars (40 objects)
Catalogue of Galaxy Groups (215 groups)
Catalogues of Paul Hickson and Romela Shakhbazian

Romela Shakhbazian

Special objects

Examples of compact/eruptive galaxies (mainly from Zwicky's Catalogue of Selected Compact Galaxies and of Post-Eruptive Galaxies)

II Zw 92 ("Saturn"), V Zw 426 ("Sandwich"), ZCG 2315.7+0354 ("Cross"), HZ 46 ("Bird")

8 Zw 20 ("Double Wing"), II Zw 99 (a rare case of an equidistant galaxy triplet), 8 Zw 388 ("Necklace"), 8 Zw 306 ("UfO") and the ring galaxy II Zw 28.

Examples of ring galaxies with compact core (prototype: Hoag's Object in Serpens)

Data of the objects

Name	Position (2000)	Mag	Other designations
Hoag's Object	15 17 14.4 +21 35 06	16.1	PGC 54559, NPM1G +21.0422
MCG -2-33-25	12 50 53.4 -09 51 45	15.5	PGC 43493
NGC 6028	16 01 29.1 +19 21 32	14.4	I Zw 133, UGC 10135, MCG 3-41-43, ZWG 108.63, PGC 56716
ZWG 167.25	16 09 39.5 +27 51 14	15.4	PGC 57168
A 1519.6+5451	15 20 56.8 +54 40 28	16.5
II Zw 92	20 48 05.7 +00 04 05	16.8	PGC 65406
V Zw 426	23 45 32.1 +43 33 45	16.1	PGC 72326
ZCG 2315.7+0354	23 18 12.4 +04 11 05	17.0	PGC 70994, NPM1G +03.0608
HZ 46	12 56 56.0 +32 26 49	15.3	Mrk 54, KUG 1254+327, A 1254+32
8 Zw 20	00 21 16.8 -08 58 24	15.0/18.8	PGC 1355 + PGC 1358
II Zw 99	21 06 49.2 -00 51 24	18.7-19.2	PGC 66119-21
8 Zw 388	14 24 15.5 -02 29 40	18.0
8 Zw 306	13 24 15.5 -02 07 10	19.0	PGC 46841
II Zw 28	05 01 14.9 +03 34 24	15.5	VV 790b, PGC 16572, A 0459+03