Recent Historical NIR light maximum of the blazar PKS 1550-242
ATel #17291; L. Carrasco, G. Escobedo, A. Porras, E. Recillas, L. Felix;(INAOE, Mexico)
on 18 Jul 2025; 22:56 UT
Credential Certification: LUIS CARRASCO (carrasco@inaoep.mx)
Subjects: Radio, Infra-Red, Gamma Ray, TeV, AGN, Blazar, Quasar
We report on the recent NIR brightening of the flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 1550-242 also known as PKS J1553-2422, cross correlated with the Gamma-ray source 2FGL J1553.2-2424. On June 19th, 2025 (JD2460845.8274), we found the object undergoing in an historically bright NIR flare in a lapse over 15 years of observations. At this time, the NIR fluxes in the JHK bands corresponded to J=14.432+/-0.020, H=13.661+/-0.034 and Ks=12.895+/-0.020. While the NIR flux in the J band on JD2458543.0345 it was J=17.192+/-0.04. Hence, the object has increased its luminosity in the J band by a factor over 12 in this lapse. Our observations are carried out with CANICA a NIR camera on the 2.1m telescope at the Observatorio Astrofisico Guillermo Haro, which is operated by the National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE, Mexico). We encourage further multiwavelength observations.
