Quasar

/ˈkweɪzɑːr/ noun

Definition

An extremely luminous active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole, visible across billions of light-years.

Etymology

From 'quasi-stellar radio source,' coined in the 1960s. The brightest objects in the universe — a single quasar can outshine its entire galaxy of hundreds of billions of stars.

Kelly Says

A black hole eating SO much material it becomes the BRIGHTEST thing in the universe! One quasar outshines a TRILLION suns! The name is short for 'quasi-stellar' because astronomers first thought they were weird stars. NOPE — cosmic monsters! 🕳️✨

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.