The Hubble Space Telescope, operational for over three decades and managed by NASA and ESA, continues to make significant contributions to astronomical discoveries.

Quasars, including 3C 273, are incredibly luminous galactic centers powered by supermassive black holes, with an estimated one million quasars existing throughout the universe, most prevalent around three billion years after the Big Bang.

Recent investigations using Hubble have provided unprecedented insights into the black hole at the core of 3C 273, revealing its complex environment and the potential influence of galactic collisions and mergers.

Astronomers, including Bin Ren from Côte d'Azur Observatory, discovered unusual structures around 3C 273, such as blobs and an L-shaped filament within 16,000 light-years of the black hole, which may indicate the presence of small satellite galaxies.

The study also revealed a 300,000-light-year-long jet of material ejected from the quasar, which accelerates as it moves farther from the black hole, showcasing the dynamic nature of quasar jets.

Hubble's findings bridge the gap between small-scale radio interferometry and large-scale optical imaging, enhancing our understanding of quasar morphology and the interactions of their host galaxies.

Utilizing the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), which functions like a coronagraph, Hubble can block out the blinding light from the quasar to study its surroundings in greater detail.

These observations suggest that small satellite galaxies may supply material to the central supermassive black hole, fueling its luminous activity.

Among its notable observations is the quasar 3C 273, identified in 1963 as the first quasar discovered, located 2.5 billion light-years away and exhibiting a luminosity over ten times that of the brightest giant elliptical galaxies.

Looking ahead, future observations of 3C 273 with the James Webb Space Telescope, particularly in the infrared spectrum, are expected to provide further insights into quasars and their environments.

Hubble's observations allow scientists to explore quasars in greater detail, opening new avenues for understanding their environments and behaviors.

The jet's acceleration has been observed through over two decades of archival data, bridging gaps in understanding quasar morphology and galactic interactions.