Fri, 09/27/2019 - 19:09
I observed it last night at vis=15.6, first time I've seen it this bright in 2 years of observations. This is a very distant and interesting flat-spectrum QSO. At 5.6 Gly, experiencing its photons impinging on my retina, and knowing when they were created, our sun and solar system hadn't even formed yet from a molecular gas cloud!
Mike
Tonite my visual observation puts it at 15.1 so it's still on a brightening trend, may get to its prior recorded maximum, around 14.8. I read about people using the SA100 spectro, and this object might make an interesting target, if one has sufficient aperture. With a z=0.58, the spectrum would be quite shifted indeed, deep blue lines into the deep red!
Mike
Was hoping to get it before dawn but it has already set for me. Will try tomorrow night if I am clear
Barbara