Open AccessOptical, near‐infrared and hard X‐ray observations of SAX J1353.9+1820: a red quasar
Author(s) -
Vignali C.,
Mignoli M.,
Comastri A.,
Maiolino R.,
Fiore F.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2000.03508.x
Subject(s) - physics , quasar , astrophysics , photometry (optics) , astronomy , infrared , galaxy , telescope , stars
We present the results of a follow‐up ASCA observation and multicolour optical and near‐infrared photometry carried out at the 3.5‐m Italian National Telescope Galileo of SAX J1353.9+1820. This object, serendipitously discovered by BeppoSAX in the 5–10 keV band, has been spectroscopically identified as a red quasar at z =0.217. The combined X‐ray and optical–infrared data reveal the presence of a moderately luminous X‐ray source (∼10 44 erg s −1 ) obscured by a column density of the order of 10 22 cm −2 in an otherwise optically passive early‐type galaxy. The implications for the nature of red quasars and their possible contribution to the hard X‐ray background are briefly outlined.