3С 273
(HubbleSite)
3C 273 is a quasar located in the constellation Virgo. 3С 273 is the first identifies (1959) and optically-brightest quasar in our sky, and at least one of nearest of all quasars (acronym for "QUASi-stellAR radio sources"). As calculated from Hubble's expansion law, it's around 640 Mpc, or about 2.6 billion light years away. Given its distance from Earth and visual magnitude, 3C 273 is the most distant celestial object average amateur astronomers are likely to see through their telescopes.
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