radio source

noun

, Astronomy.

1. a cosmic object or phenomenon, as a galaxy, pulsar, quasar, or the remnant of a supernova or of a galactic collision, that emits radio waves.

radio source

noun

1. a celestial object, such as a supernova remnant or quasar, that is a source of radio waves

Word History and Origins

Origin of radio source¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The term quasar is a concatenation of quasi-stellar radio source — so called because when they were first identified, astronomers like Hong-Yee Chiu, who coined the term, were completely baffled by these strange interstellar objects.

From Salon

Existing surveys have logged 10 million radio sources across the sky, Hallinan says.

From Science Magazine

Hence the name “quasar,” an abbreviation that recognized their starlike properties, and stands for quasi-stellar radio source.

From Washington Post

Most of the radio sources turned out to be ordinary elliptical galaxies.

From Los Angeles Times

Researchers called them “quasi-stellar radio sources,” or quasars, for short — even though no one could figure out what a quasar was.

From New York Times