Maarten Schmidt

In 1963, Schmidt identified the spectral lines of the quasar 3C 273 and determined they were redshifted by approximately 16%, meaning the object was receding at a significant fraction of the speed of light. This proved 3C 273 was extraordinarily distant and far beyond our galaxy.

He used the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory in Southern California, which was the largest optical telescope in the world at the time. The identification of 3C 273 was made possible by a radio position determination precise enough for optical follow-up.

A quasar (quasi-stellar radio source) is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole consuming surrounding material. 3C 273, for example, outshines entire galaxies despite appearing as a faint point of light.

Schmidt spent his career at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which operates the Palomar Observatory facilities. He was born in the Netherlands and completed his early studies at Leiden University before moving to the United States.