This article documents the farthest known astronomical objects, and the time periods in which they were so classified.
Contents |
Type | Object | Distance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Any astronomical object, no matter what type | UDFj-39546284 | z≅10.3 | [1] |
Galaxy or protogalaxy | UDFj-39546284 | z≅10.3 | [2]
See also: List of galaxies
|
Galaxy cluster or protocluster |
See also: List of galaxy clusters
|
||
Galaxy supercluster |
See also: List of superclusters
|
||
Galaxy hypercluster (Wall, Sheet, Filament of galaxies) |
|||
Quasar | ULAS J1120+0641 | z=7.085 | [3]
See also: List of quasars
|
Black hole | ULAS J1120+0641 | z=7.085 | [3] |
Star or protostar or post-stellar corpse | Progenitor of GRB 090429B | z≅9.4 | [4] |
Star cluster | |||
Nebula | Remnant of GRB 090429B | z≅9.4 | [4] |
Type | Event | Distance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Gamma-ray burst | GRB 090429B | z≅9.4 | [4] |
Supernova | SN 19941 | z=2.357 | [5][6] |
Cosmic Decoupling | Cosmic Background Radiation creation | z~1000 | [7] |
Objects in this list were found to be the most distant known object at the time of determination of their distance. This is frequently not the same as the date of their discovery.
Distances to astronomical objects may be determined through parallax measurements, use of standard references such as cepheid variables or Type Ia supernovas, or redshift measurement. Spectroscopic redshift measurement is preferred, while photometric redshift measurement is also used. The unit z represents redshift.
Object | Type | Date | Distance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
UDFj-39546284 | Galaxy | 2011 — | z=~10.3 | Announced January 26, 2011 also based on studies of images captured earlier in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field survey. (Not spectroscopically confirmed)[1] |
UDFy-38135539 | Galaxy | 2010 − 2011 | z=8.55 | Announced October 20, 2010 based on studies of images captured earlier in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field survey.[8][9] |
Progenitor of GRB 090423 / Remnant of GRB 090423 | Gamma-ray burst progenitor / Gamma-ray burst remnant | 2009 − 2010 | z=8.2 | [9][10] |
IOK-1 | Galaxy | 2006 − 2009 | z=6.96 | [9][10][11][12][13] |
SDF J132522.3+273520 | Galaxy | 2005 − 2006 | z=6.597 | [13][14] |
SDF J132418.3+271455 | Galaxy | 2003 − 2005 | z=6.578 | [14][15][16][17] |
HCM-6A | Galaxy | 2002 − 2003 | z=6.56 | The galaxy is lensed by galaxy cluster Abell 370. This was the first non-quasar galaxy found to exceed redshift 6. It exceeded the redshift of quasar SDSSp J103027.10+052455.0 of z=6.28[15][16][18][19][20][21] |
SDSS J1030+0524 (SDSSp J103027.10+052455.0) |
Quasar | 2001 − 2002 | z=6.28 | [22][23][24][25][26][27] |
SDSS 1044-0125 (SDSSp J104433.04-012502.2) |
Quasar | 2000 − 2001 | z=5.82 | [28][29][26][27][30][31][32] |
SSA22-HCM1 | Galaxy | 1999 − 2000 | z=5.74 | [33][34] |
HDF 4-473.0 | Galaxy | 1998 − 1999 | z=5.60 | [34] |
RD1 (0140+326 RD1) | Galaxy | 1998 | z=5.34 | [35][36][37][34][38] |
CL 1358+62 G1 & CL 1358+62 G2 | Galaxies | 1997 − 1998 | z=4.92 | These were the remotest objects known at the time of discovery. The pair of galaxies were found lensed by galaxy cluster CL1358+62 (z=0.33). This was the first time since 1964 that something other than a quasar held the record for being the most distant object in the universe.[36][39][40][37][34][41] |
PC 1247-3406 | Quasar | 1991 − 1997 | z=4.897 | [28][42][43][44][45] |
PC 1158+4635 | Quasar | 1989 − 1991 | z=4.73 | [28][45][46][47][48][49] |
Q0051-279 | Quasar | 1987 − 1989 | z=4.43 | [50][46][49][51][52][53] |
Q0000-26 (QSO B0000-26) |
Quasar | 1987 | z=4.11 | [50][46][54] |
PC 0910+5625 (QSO B0910+5625) |
Quasar | 1987 | z=4.04 | This was the second quasar discovered with a redshift over 4.[28][55][46][56] |
Q0046–293 (QSO J0048-2903) |
Quasar | 1987 | z=4.01 | [50][46][55][57][58] |
Q1208+1011 (QSO B1208+1011) |
Quasar | 1986 − 1987 | z=3.80 | This is a gravitationally-lensed double-image quasar, and at the time of discovery to 1991, had the least angular separation between images, 0.45 ″.[55][59][60] |
PKS 2000-330 (QSO J2003-3251, Q2000-330) |
Quasar | 1982 − 1986 | z=3.78 | [55][61][62][63] |
OQ172 (QSO B1442+101) |
Quasar | 1974 − 1982 | z=3.53 | [64][65][66] |
OH471 (QSO B0642+449) |
Quasar | 1973 − 1974 | z=3.408 | Nickname was "the blaze marking the edge of the universe".[64][66][67][68][69] |
4C 05.34 | Quasar | 1970 − 1973 | z=2.877 | Its redshift was so much greater than the previous record that it was believed to be erroneous, or spurious.[63][66][70][71][72] |
5C 02.56 (7C 105517.75+495540.95) |
Quasar | 1968 − 1970 | z=2.399 | [41][72][73] |
4C 25.05 (4C 25.5) |
Quasar | 1968 | z=2.358 | [41][72][74] |
PKS 0237-23 (QSO B0237-2321) |
Quasar | 1967 − 1968 | z=2.225 | [63][74][75][76][77] |
4C 12.39 (Q1116+12, PKS 1116+12) |
Quasar | 1966 − 1967 | z=2.1291 | [41][77][78][79] |
4C 01.02 (Q0106+01, PKS 0106+1) |
Quasar | 1965 − 1966 | z=2.0990 | [41][77][78][80] |
3C 9 | Quasar | 1965 | z=2.018 | [77][81][82][83][84][85] |
3C 147 | Quasar | 1964 − 1965 | z=0.545 | [86][87][88][89] |
3C 295 | Radio galaxy | 1960 − 1964 | z=0.461 | [34][41][90][91][92] |
LEDA 25177 (MCG+01-23-008) | Brightest cluster galaxy | 1951 − 1960 | z=0.2 (V=61000 km/s) |
This galaxy lies in the Hydra Supercluster. It is located at B1950.0 08h 55m 4s +03° 21′ and is the BCG of the fainter Hydra Cluster Cl 0855+0321 (ACO 732).[34][92][93][94][95][96][97] |
LEDA 51975 (MCG+05-34-069) | Brightest cluster galaxy | 1936 - | z=0.13 (V=39000 km/s) |
The brightest cluster galaxy of the Bootes cluster (ACO 1930), an elliptical galaxy at B1950.0 14h 30m 6s +31° 46′ apparent magnitude 17.8, was found by Milton L. Humason in 1936 to have a 40,000 km/s recessional redshift velocity.[96][98][99] |
LEDA 20221 (MCG+06-16-021) | Brightest cluster galaxy | 1932 - | z=0.075 (V=23000 km/s) |
This is the BCG of the Gemini Cluster (ACO 568) and was located at B1950.0 07h 05m 0s +35° 04′[98][100] |
BCG of WMH Christie's Leo Cluster | Brightest cluster galaxy | 1931 − 1932 | z= (V=19700 km/s) |
[100][101][102][103] |
BCG of Baede's Ursa Major Cluster | Brightest cluster galaxy | 1930 − 1931 | z= (V=11700 km/s) |
[103][104] |
NGC 4860 | Galaxy | 1929 − 1930 | z=0.026 (V=7800 km/s) |
[104][105][106] |
NGC 7619 | Galaxy | 1929 | z=0.012 (V=3779 km/s) |
Using redshift measurements, NGC 7619 was the highest at the time of measurement. At the time of announcement, it was not yet accepted as a general guide to distance, however, later in the year, Edwin Hubble described redshift in relation to distance, which became accepted widely as an inferred distance.[105][107][108] |
NGC 584 (Dreyer nebula 584) |
Galaxy | 1921 − 1929 | z=0.006 (V=1800 km/s) |
At the time, nebula had yet to be accepted as independent galaxies. However, in 1923, galaxies were generally recognized as external to the Milky Way.[96][105][107][109][110][111][112] |
M104 (NGC 4594) | Galaxy | 1913 − 1921 | z=0.004 (V=1180 km/s) |
This was the second galaxy whose redshift was determined; the first being Andromeda - which is approaching us and thus cannot have its redshift used to infer distance. Both were measured by Vesto Melvin Slipher. At this time, nebula had yet to be accepted as independent galaxies. NGC 4594 was measured originally as 1000 km/s, then refined to 1100, and then to 1180 in 1916.[105][109][112] |
Arcturus (Alpha Bootis) |
Star | 1891 − 1910 | 160 ly (18 mas) (this is very inaccurate) |
This number is wrong; originally announced in 1891, the figure was corrected in 1910 to 40 ly (60 mas). From 1891 to 1910, it had been thought this was the star with the smallest known parallax, hence the most distant star whose distance was known. Prior to 1891, Arcturus had previously been recorded of having a parallax of 127 mas.[113][114][115][116] |
Capella (Alpha Aurigae) |
Star | 1849 - | 72 ly (46 mas) |
[117][118][119] |
Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris) |
Star | 1847 - 1849 | 50 ly (80 mas) (this is very inaccurate) |
[120][121] |
Vega (Alpha Lyrae) |
Star (part of a double star pair) | 1839 - 1847 | 7.77 pc (125 mas) |
[120] |
61 Cygni | Binary star | 1838 − 1839 | 3.48 pc (313.6 mas) |
This was the first star other than the Sun to have its distance measured.[120][122][123] |
Uranus | Planet of the Solar System | 1781 − 1838 | 18 AU | This was the last planet discovered before the first successful measurement of stellar parallax. It had been determined that the stars were much farther away than the planets. |
Saturn | Planet of the Solar System | 1619 − 1781 | 10 AU | From Kepler's Third Law, it was finally determined that Saturn is indeed the outermost of the classical planets, and its distance derived. It had only previously been conjectured to be the outermost, due to it having the longest orbital period, and slowest orbital motion. It had been determined that the stars were much farther away than the planets. |
Mars | Planet of the Solar System | 1609 − 1619 | 2.6 AU when Mars is diametrically opposed to Earth | Kepler correctly characterized Mars and Earth's orbits in the publication Astronomia nova. It had been conjectured that the fixed stars were much farther away than the planets. |
Sun | Star | 3rd century BCE — 1609 | 1 AU (An AU is the measurement of the average distance between the Sun and the Earth | Aristarchus of Samos made a measurement of the distance of the Sun from the Earth in relation to the distance of the Moon from the Earth. The distance to the Moon was described in Earth radii (20, also inaccurate). The diameter of the Earth had been calculated previously. At the time, it was assumed that some of the planets were further away, but their distances could not be measured. The order of the planets was conjecture until Kepler determined the distances of the four true planets from the Sun that were not Earth. It had been conjectured that the fixed stars were much farther away than the planets. |
This list contains a list of most distant objects by year of discovery of the object, not the determination of its distance. Objects may have been discovered without distance determination, and were found subsequently to be the most distant known at that time.
Year of record | Distance (Mly) | Object | Type | Detected using | First record by (1) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
964 | 2.5 [124] | Andromeda Galaxy | Spiral galaxy | naked eye | Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi[125] |
1654 | 3 | Triangulum Galaxy | Spiral galaxy | refracting telescope | Giovanni Battista Hodierna[126] |
1779 | 68[127] | Messier 58 | Barred spiral galaxy | refracting telescope | Charles Messier[128] |
1880s | 206 ± 29[129] | NGC 1 | Spiral galaxy | Dreyer, Herschel | |
1959 | 2,400 [130] | 3C 273 | Quasar | Parkes Radio Telescope | Maarten Schmidt, Bev Oke[131] |
1960 | 5,000 [132] | 3C 295 | Radio galaxy | Palomar Observatory | Rudolph Minkowski |
2009 | 13,000 [133] | GRB 090423 | Gamma-ray burst progenitor | Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission | Krimm, H. et al.[134] |