Frankfurt Quasar Monitoring


HS 0624+6907
Object data

  Cross-Identifications  QSO B0624+6907, QSO J0630+6905, 0624+691
  RX J06300+6904, 2MASS J06300250+6905039
  GALEXASC J063002.55+690504.3
  [VCV2006] J063002.6+690503

  Equat. coordinates   RA  06 30 02.6     DE  +69 05 03     (J2000)
  Constellation   Camelopardalis
  Type   QSO
  Redshift (1) (2)   z=0.370
  Distance (2) (3)
  1398 Mpc
  Total mag range (mv) (4) (5)   14.02 - 14.5
  Catalog Magnitude (1)   14.16
  Absolute Magnitude (1)   -27.2 MB
  Light Travel-Time (2)   3.898 × 109 yrs
(1) Véron-Cetty & Véron 2006, A&A 455, 776
(2) NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database
(3) Co-Moving Radial Distance
(4) Frankfurt Quasar Monitoring
(5) Literature


Finding chart
0624+691_chart_fqm.jpg

Comparison stars

star B V
1 14.548 (0.129)
13.901 (0.064)
2 15.015 (0.138)
14.239 (0.060)
3 15.038 (0.123) 14.381 (0.078)
4
15.117 (0.130) 14.545 (0.069)
5
15.528 (0.221) 14.636 (0.075)
6
15.770 (0.180) 15.035 (0.080)
comparison stars from APASS (DR6)

Light curve
0624+691_lc2404_fqm.jpg

Notes
HS 0624+6907 is a bright quasar in Camelopardalis. Its position lies about 2.1° W of 43 Cam, and 1° E of L Cam (HD 42818). HS 0624+6907 was discovered in 1989 during the Hamburg Quasar Survey (HS). This survey was carried out by the 80-cm Schmidt-Telescope at Calar Alto Observatory, equipped with an objective prism. The newly found point source was immediately identified as a quasar by follow-up spectral analysis. With an apparent brightness of v=14.2 m, this quasar was the second brightest (!) ever discovered in the optical band pass. Together with quasar KUV 18217+6419 (which was equally bright at the time of discovery), HS 0624+6907 was only surpassed by famous quasar 3C 273.

Quasar HS 0624+6907 is a small amplitude variable object ranging between 14.0 and 14.5 mag. Due to its brightness, this quasar is an easy task for visual observers with telescopes of 8- to 10-inch of aperture. The object appears stellar even with large apertures. This comes without surprise, considering the quasars large cosmological distance of nearly 4×109 light-years.
Without a go-to mount, tracking down quasar HS 0624+6907 is a little tricky, as it lies in a region lack of bright stars for easy starhopping.
CCD observers, as well as visual observers, shall use the comparison stars given above.

____________

Only 7´N of quasar HS 0624+6907, you find a faint but nice double star, consisting of an 11.72-mag primary and a 12.15-mag companion, separated by 14.7" (see the double on top of the finding chart). Both components share the same proper motion. In addition, this double is a good orientation mark to locate the quasar position in the eyepiece or CCD frame.
When observing HS 0624+6907,
do not forget to visit bright spiral galaxy NGC 2403, only 7° SE. NGC:2403 is a face-on type SBc spiral and a member of the M 81-galaxy group.
In case you look for another bright interesting blazar I recommend S5 0716+71, a bright and violently variable BL Lac object,
about 5° NE.


Literature
Bade, W., Witt, P. 1989, SuW 5/89, 283; Automatische Suche nach Quasaren.
Bowen, D.V., Osmer, S.J., Blades, J.C., et al. 1994, AJ, 107, 461; Hubble Space Telescope faint object
     spectrograph QSO absorption snapshot survey (ABSNA).
Groote, D., Heber, U., Jordan, S. 1989, A&A, 223, L1; Discovery of Two Bright Low-Redshift Quasars by the
     Hamburg Quasar Survey.
Karge, S.; Helle Quasare für 8- bis 10-Zoll Teleskope. Ein Beobachtungsführer zur visuellen Beobachtung von
     Quasaren und BL Lacertae Objekten; Frankfurt 2005.
Reimers, D., Hopp, U., et al. 1995, A&A, 303, 449; Multiwavelength observations of the bright QSO HS 0624+6907.
Steinicke, W.; Beobachtungsliste für helle Quasare; Umkirch 1999.
Véron-Cetty, M.-P., Véron, P. 2001, A&A 374, 92; A Catalogue of Quasars and Active Nuclei: 10th edition.
Véron-Cetty, M.-P., Véron, P. 2003, A&A 412, 399; A Catalogue of Quasars and Active Nuclei: 11th edition.
Véron-Cetty, M.-P., Véron, P. 2006, A&A 455, 776; A Catalogue of Quasars and Active Nuclei: 12th edition.
Véron-Cetty, M.-P., Véron, P. 2010, A&A 518, 10; A Catalogue of Quasars and Active Nuclei: 13th edition.
Wenzel, K. 2001, Interstellarum 16, 53; QdQ: HS 0624+6907.




Links:

Hamburg Quasar Monitoring

APASS


© Stefan Karge (FQM)  /  last obs. 2024-04-13
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