Since their discovery, the nature of quasars has been one of the most intriguing and baffling problems as evidenced by the following quotations: " the problem of understanding quasi-stellar objects is one of the most important and fascinating tasks in all physics" - G.Burbidge and Hoyle. "The quasar continues to rank both as one of the most baffling objects in the universe and one most capable of inspiring heated argument" - Morrison. "The redshift problem is one of the most critical problems in astronomy today" - G. Burbidge. "Quasars still remain the profoundest mystery in the heavens" - Hazard and Mitton. The conventional interpretation of the spectral lines observed in quasars is based on the redshift hypothesis. Three hypotheses have been advanced to account for the supposed redshifts: 1. Cosmological hypothesis; the redshifts are due to the expansion of the universe, 2. Gravitational hypothesis, 3 Local-Doppler hypothesis; in this hypothesis the redshifts are due to the Doppler effect, but the quasars are relatively nearby and have nothing to do with the expansion of the universe. Of these hypotheses, the first one is the most publicized one. One is led to attribute to quasars very many mysterious properties if one assumes the redshift hypothesis to be correct. A patient analysis of the data on quasars over the years has led to the conclusion that the real source of the trouble is in the assumption that the spectra of quasars have redshifts.In the early 1960's quasars were known as 'radio stars' because the method used to discover the first quasars was based on coincidences between a strong radio source and a point-like optical source. Since each radio source was associated with a star it was originally thought that quasars were objects within the galaxy hence the term 'radio stars'. Quasars or quasi-stellar radio source, from the method by which they where originally discovered: as stellar optical counterparts to...
