QSO J0529-4351

QSO J0529−4351
Wide-field of the region around the quasar J0529-4351
Observation data (Epoch )
ConstellationPictor
Right ascension05h 29m 15.8s
Declination−43° 51 52
Redshift3.962
Apparent magnitude (V)16
Notable features
  • brightest of its kind
  • most luminous object ever observed
  • contains fastest growing black hole
Other designations
  • SMSS J052915.80−435152.0
  • Quasar J0529−4351
See also: Quasar, List of quasars

QSO J0529−4351 (SMSS J052915.80–435152.0) is a quasar, 12 billion light-years away in the Pictor constellation, notable for being the most luminous object ever observed at roughly 500 trillion times the luminosity of the Sun. The black hole at its centre has a mass of approximately 17 billion solar masses, and accretes around one solar mass per day. In a Gaia DR3 data set published on 13 June 2022, QSO J0529−4351 was assigned a 99.98% probability of being a star in the Milky Way via an automated analysis. However, the quasar was identified as one using the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory; the discovery was announced on 19 February 2024.