A blazar is an active galactic nucleus (AGN) with a relativistic jet (a jet composed of ionized matter traveling at nearly … See more

Blazars, like all active galactic nuclei (AGN), are thought to be powered by material falling into a supermassive black hole in the core of the host galaxy. Gas, dust and the occasional star are captured and spiral into t… See more

The observed emission from a blazar is greatly enhanced by relativistic effects in the jet, a process called relativistic beaming. The bulk speed of the plasma that constitutes the jet can be in the range of 95%–99% … See more

Many of the brighter blazars were first identified, not as powerful distant galaxies, but as irregular variable stars in our own galaxy. These blazars, like genuine irregular variable stars, changed in brightness … See more

Blazars are thought to be active galactic nuclei, with relativistic jets oriented close to the line of sight with the observer.
The special jet orientation explains the general peculiar characteristics: high observed lu… See more

• Galaxy formation and evolution
• Seyfert galaxy See more