Related papers: The Changing Look Blazar B2 1420+32
PKS 2155--304 is one of the brightest blazars in the X-ray band. It was repeatedly monitored with BeppoSax during three long campaigns of about 2 days each in November of 1996, 1997 and 1999. The source underwent different states of…
We present the results of the optical monitoring of 18 southern blazars in the V and R Johnson-Cousins bands. Our main objective is to study the variations in the optical flux and theis relationship with the colour and spectral…
The knowledge of the physical conditions occurring in the relativistic jet of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is important to understand the mechanisms at the basis of their multiband emission. From parsec-scale radio observations…
The BL Lac PG 1553+113 has been continuously monitored in gamma rays with Fermi-LAT for over 9 years. Its updated light curve now includes 5 iterations of a main pattern comprising a high peak and a longer trough, with a period P \sim 2.2…
We present the results of an extensive analysis of the optical, ultraviolet, X-ray and $\gamma$-ray data collected from the observations of the BL Lac objects prototype BL Lacertae carried out over a period of nearly 13 years, between…
In October 2024, the object BL Lacertae experienced the brightest flaring event in gamma-ray ($>$100 MeV) with a historically bright $\gamma$-ray flux of $\sim$2.59 $\times 10^{-5}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ with a detection of a 175.7 GeV…
The gamma-ray emission of blazar jets shows a pronounced variability and this feature provides limits to the size and to the speed of the emitting region. We study the gamma-ray variability of bright blazars using data from the first 18…
We present the results of polarimetric ($R$ band) and multicolor photometric ($BVRIJHK$) observations of the blazar AO 0235+16 during an outburst in 2006 December. The data reveal a short timescale of variability (several hours), which…
Comprehensive VLBI and multi-waveband monitoring indicate that a single superluminal knot can cause a number of gamma-ray flares at different locations. However, the often very rapid variability timescale is a challenge to theoretical…
The extragalactic $\gamma$-ray sky is dominated by blazars and their study plays an important role in understanding jet physics, cosmic evolution history and origin of ultra high energy cosmic rays. In this work, we study a large sample of…
Blazars are active galactic nuclei (AGN) whose relativistic jets point nearly to the line of sight. Their compact radio structure can be imaged with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) on parsec scales. Blazars at extremely high…
By studying the variability of blazars across the electromagnetic spectrum, it is possible to resolve the underlying processes responsible for rapid flux increases, so-called flares. We report on an extremely bright X-ray flare in the…
Blazars are a sub-category of radio-loud active galactic nuclei with relativistic jets pointing towards the observer. They exhibit non-thermal variable emission, which practically extends over the whole electromagnetic spectrum. Despite the…
We present a systematic search for changing-look quasars based on repeat photometry from SDSS and Pan-STARRS1, along with repeat spectra from SDSS and SDSS-III BOSS. Objects with large, |\Delta g|>1 mag photometric variations in their light…
Gamma-ray emitting blazars have been the targets of many recent or ongoing monitoring programmes. The resulting multi-wavelength data archives are ideal for studying the quiescent and variable behaviour of the blazar PKS 2155-304. Here,…
BL Lacertae (BL Lac), the archetypal blazar of its subclass and one of the most studied blazars in the last decades, has undergone a series of major multi-wavelength outbursts since 2020, resulting in its highest recorded $\gamma$-ray flare…
Blazars are powerful, variable emitters from radio to gamma-ray wavelengths. Even though the general picture of synchrotron emission at low energies and inverse Compton at the high energy end is well established, many important aspects of…
GB 1508+5714 is a high-redshift blazar ($z$ = 4.3) and a spectrally soft $\gamma$-ray source has been detected in its direction. By analyzing 11.4-yr {\it Fermi}-LAT data, significant long-term variability of the $\gamma$-ray source is…
Blazars can be detected from very large distances due to their high luminosity. However, the detection of $\gamma$-ray emission of blazars beyond $z=3$ has only been confirmed for a small number of sources. Such observations probe the…
Most $\gamma$-ray detected active galactic nuclei are blazars with one of their relativistic jets pointing towards the Earth. Only a few objects belong to the class of radio galaxies or misaligned blazars. Here, we investigate the nature of…