Redshift 5.8 Quasar Spectrum

This graph shows part of the spectrum of the most distant quasar currently known, with a redshift of 5.8. The large peak is called the Lyman-alpha emission peak, and is a distinguishing feature of quasar spectra. This spectral feature would normally appear in the ultraviolet, with a wavelength of about 1200 Angstroms. For this quasar, the Lyman-alpha peak appears in the infrared near 8300 Angstroms, representing a nearly sevenfold increase in the wavelength due to the expansion of the universe.
Image credit: Richard White, Space Telescope Science Institute

This image is also available as a PostScript file.

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