Astronomers Unravel Mystery of Quasars, the Universe's Most Powerful Objects.

Quasars, the brightest objects in the universe, are likely caused by collisions between galaxies, according to a team of astrophysicists. Quasars are a type of active galactic nuclei that are very bright and often launch material outward in superheated jets of material. The researchers found that around 65% of the observed quasar-hosting galaxies showed signs of galaxy mergers or encounters in the past. The same process that creates quasars is what gives them their luminosity, derived from the black holes at their centers accreting and consuming nearby material, releasing energy.