Help: Superluminal Jet in 3C 120

Superluminal Jet in Quasar 3C 120

This animation shows VLBA observations of a jet from the quasar 3C 120. The observing frequency was 15 Ghz and the resolution is milli-arcseconds. Superluminal motion refers to an optical illusion where knots in a jet may appear to move faster than the speed of light. This quasar also belongs to the class of active galaxies called blazars. The illusion of superluminal motion is common in blazars. Usage: Click "Play" to begin. "Step" moves forward one frame and "Back" moves backwards one frame. Click "Stop" to pause. "Home" returns to the beginning.