J0313-1806 Quasar discovery: Astronomers and researchers from the University of Arizona discovered the oldest and most distant quasar known to date. It is around 670 million years old, and 13 billion light years away from Earth. The findings were revealed at the 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in a virtual event held on Tuesday. 

Significance: Quasars are the brightest objects in the universe, powered by a supermassive black hole. This quasar, known as J0313-1806, is a part of a blackhole that is 1.6 billion times bigger than our sun, and continues to grow every year. This discovery could help scientists learn more about quasars and supermassive blackholes. 

National Guard deployment at the Capitol: Around 21,000 members of the National Guard are expected at the nation’s Capitol for the upcoming Inauguration Day. Troops will be armed and were given permission to use lethal force in a statement from the National Guard headquarters. The increased security measures are a result from last week’s riot at the Capitol building. 

Significance: The number of troops expected is around four times the amount currently deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. For further security measures, tours of the Washington Monument are suspended for next week. In addition, Airbnb announced Wednesday that reservations in the Washington D.C. area will be canceled.