Quasars: The Universe’s Brightest Beacons

Out in the distant universe, there are objects so bright they can outshine entire

galaxies. These objects are called quasars. A quasar forms around a supermassive black

hole at the center of a galaxy. As gas and dust fall toward the black hole,

they heat up and glow, creating huge amounts of energy. This energy makes

the quasar shine brighter than billions of stars combined. Some quasars also release powerful

jets of energy that travel far into space. Because they are so bright,

scientists can see quasars from billions of light-years away. By studying quasars, scientists learn

more about black holes, galaxy formation, and what the universe was like long ago.