Comparative Photometry of the Quiet Quasar PDS 456 and the Radio-Loud Blazar 3C 273
Journal: Galaxies
Year: 2025

A comparative analysis of the photometric variability of the blazar 3C 273 and the quasar PDS 456 using multi-band data from ground- and space-based platforms (2015–2025) reveals contrasting behaviors. For 3C 273, a statistically significant secular dimming was detected in the ATLASc-band light curve (5.6±0.2)×10−4magday−1 and confirmed by Johnson–Cousins V-band photometry. Ten optical flares were identified, two coinciding with Fermi gamma-ray enhancements, suggesting a synchrotron origin linke