| Abstract | We report data from the commissioning run of the Altair adaptive optics instrument on Gemini North. The bright QSO 3C 273 was observed at f/32 in the H and J bands, and at f/14 with J band, using the QSO itself as guide star. Resolution of approximately 60 mas full width at half-maximum (FWHM) was achieved in H band. The data and point-spread function are compared with those from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The Altair data allow a measurement of the spheroidal inner host galaxy to radii down to about 40 mas. A bright knot seen in visible wavelengths with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) instrument on HST is seen in the J but not the H band, and the dust lane seen with ACS is less visible, as expected. Other morphological features, and the jet, are discussed. |
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