blazar

American  

[blayz-ahr] / ˈbleɪz ɑr /

noun

• blazars
  plural

1. Astronomy. a type of active galactic nucleus having an extremely bright appearance because of massive jets of radiation directed toward the earth from the disk of dust and gas circling the black hole associated with the galactic nucleus.

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blazar Scientific  

/ blā′zär′ /

1. An extremely bright, starlike object characterized by rapid changes in luminosity and a flat spectrum. Originally thought to be ordinary irregular variable stars, their spectral properties now lead astronomers to consider blazars as a class of active galactic nuclei. Blazars emit radiation over a very wide range of frequencies, from radio to gamma rays, with their jets pointed at the observer. This orientation accounts for their peculiar properties, specifically the variability and intensity of their brightness, and it also distinguishes blazars from another class of active galactic nucleus, quasars.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blazar-like
  adjective
• non-blazar
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• blazars
  plural

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Explanation

A blazar is the core of a galaxy that shoots out a radiant stream of light and energy in the direction of Earth, kind of like a cosmic spotlight. A blazar is a celestial phenomenon where a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy produces a powerful, high-energy jet of particles and radiation directed toward Earth. This extraordinary brightness occurs due to particles being accelerated at near-light speed, making blazars some of the brightest objects we can observe in the universe. By studying blazars, astrophysicists gain insights into the behavior of black holes, galaxy formation, and the dynamic forces shaping our cosmos.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blazar blazars

OJ 287 is classified as a blazar, a type of active galaxy known for its intense energy and brightness.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2025

The jets from this blazar extend to a distance of about a million light years.

From Reuters ● Nov. 23, 2022

It’s a similar process to what powers a blazar, but lasts just a few months.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 22, 2021

On September 22, 2017, IceCube, a neutrino detector comprising 5,160 sensors embedded within one cubic kilometer of ice below the South Pole, detected neutrinos from a blazar.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 21, 2019

This type of galaxy is called a blazar.

From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2018

Gamma-ray flares from blazars are thought to be the primary events behind neutrino detection in the sky.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2023

Some scientists suggest that there could be a population of blazars whose flares are accompanied by high-energy neutrino emission.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2023

These can be quite volatile, such as blazars, which are AGN that shoot out jets of ionized matter traveling at nearly the speed of light.

From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2023

Scientists have long sought to understand how the jets launched from blazars become so luminous and the behavior of the particles in them.

From Reuters ● Nov. 23, 2022

The other important component of multimessenger astronomy is the detection of neutrinos, which are emitted alongside electromagnetic radiation from astrophysical objects such as blazars.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 21, 2019

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