The object was first identified by R.A. Preston in 1985.[10] Before then, it was unnoticed. Analysis in 1998 reveal that it might be relatively dusty based on the quasar's X-ray properties;[11] Long thought to be solitary, the CHiPS (Clusters Hiding in Plain Sight) Survey found PSZ2 G317.79+26.63, a massive galaxy cluster surrounding the quasar.[4] The team analyzed data from the 2MASS, NVSS, ROSAT, SUMSS, and WISE all-sky surveys in order to locate powerful sources of infrared, radio, and X-ray light. The goal was to discover new galaxy clusters that were previously misidentified as isolated sources of X-ray light due to the central quasar's brightness.[12][4]
As an individual object, PKS 1353−341 has a central mass 300 billion times that of the Sun,[3] which is 1/4 of the Milky Way's mass. It has an absolute magnitude of −22.4 in the blue passband,[3] making it very luminous. The galaxy hosting PKS 1353−341 is a compact dwarf galaxy.[7] Typical of quasars, PKS 1353−341 has two jets originating from the center of the galaxy. When combined with the surrounding cluster, both have a mass of 6.9+3.4 −2.6×1014M☉, making it a thousand times more massive than our own galaxy.[4]
^ abPaturel, G.; Dubois, P.; Petit, C.; Woelfel, F. (2002). "Comparison LEDA/SIMBAD octobre 2002. Catalogue to be published in 2003". LEDA: 0. Bibcode:2002LEDA.........0P.
^ abVéron-Cetty, M. -P.; Woltjer, L.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Ekers, R. D. (October 2000). "The nature of powerful compact radio galaxies". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 362: 426–434. Bibcode:2000A&A...362..426V. ISSN0004-6361.
^Skrutskie, M. F.; Cutri, R. M.; Stiening, R.; Weinberg, M. D.; Schneider, S.; Carpenter, J. M.; Beichman, C.; Capps, R.; Chester, T.; Elias, J.; Huchra, J.; Liebert, J.; Lonsdale, C.; Monet, D. G.; Price, S.; Seitzer, P.; Jarrett, T.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Gizis, J. E.; Howard, E.; Evans, T.; Fowler, J.; Fullmer, L.; Hurt, R.; Light, R.; Kopan, E. L.; Marsh, K. A.; McCallon, H. L.; Tam, R.; Van Dyk, S.; Wheelock, S. (February 2006). "The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)". The Astronomical Journal. 131 (2): 1163–1183. Bibcode:2006AJ....131.1163S. doi:10.1086/498708. eISSN1538-3881. ISSN0004-6256.