source

Astronomy uses the general term source to refer to whatever astronomical object has produced some signal (e.g., EMR) detected in some observation. The term is commonly used for astronomical survey discoveries, such as when referring to all of them ("sources") or referring to one of them without specifying the type of object (e.g., if that has yet to be determined). Common phrases: radio source (RS), microwave source, submillimeter source, infrared source (IR source), ultraviolet source (UV source), X-ray source, gamma-ray source. Other phrases are point source for a source too small for your telescope to resolve, and extended source for one that it can resolve, i.e., spatial detail can be observed. Analogous non-EMR-specific sources include gravitational wave sources, neutrino sources, and cosmic-ray sources.