3C 454.3

3C 454.3 is a quasar/blazar located off the galactic plane. It lies some 7.1 billion light-years away in Pegasus and is currently undergoing a flaring episode that makes it especially bright, especially in the gamma-ray part of the spectrum.

History

In July and August 2007, the gamma-ray blazar 3C 454.3 flared to near-historic levels, only two years after its record-breaking 2005 optical flare. Luckily, Spitzer Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory were already scheduled for simultaneous observations. Swift, RXTE and the new gamma-ray AGILE spacecraft responded to this target of opportunity, and were joined by observatories around the world.

The GLAST Large Area Telescope AGN science group started a multiwavelength campaign for blazar 3C454.3 (2251+158), in July and continuing through August 2007. This Ad-Hoc Intensive Campaign (AIC) was prompted by brightening in the radio, optical and X-ray.

Images

* [http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/LAT-sky-map-large.jpgGamma ray large sky map with five objects indicated, including 3C 454.3]
* [http://www.lsw.uni-heidelberg.de/projects/extragalactic/charts/2251+158.html LSW Sky Map of 3C 454.3]

References