The Discovery of a Low-Redshift, Red Quasar in the 2MASS Prototype Survey

April 1998 • 1998PASP..110..367B

Authors • Beichman, C. A. • Chester, T. J. • Cutri, R. • Lonsdale, C. J. • Kirkpatrick, D. • Smith, H. E. • Skrutskie, M.

Abstract • A prototype camera designed to test the observing and data reduction techniques for the 2 Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) has been used to search for extremely red objects. Selection criteria based on the combination of near-IR and visible light observations help separate the vast majority of ordinary stars from more exotic objects. Visible spectroscopic observations for objects selected using these criteria in an area of just a few tenths of a square degree has resulted in the discovery of a quasar with a redshift of 0.147. The number of quasars expected at K_s in the 2MASS survey based on typical quasar colors and on the surface density of optically selected samples is ~0.17 deg^-2. The 2MASS survey will result in a sample of quasars relatively unbiased by the presence of dust and will allow a reliable determination of whether there is a significant population of quasars with internal dust absorption.

Links

• SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbo.pl?bibcode=1998PASP..110..367B
• PDF https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/316145/pdf
• NED https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/uri/NED::InRefcode/1998PASP..110..367B
• ELECTR https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/316145