Observations of H1426+428 from 1999 to 2002 with The Whipple Observatory 10 m Telescope

Abstract

The BL Lacertae object H1426+428 is the most distant, confirmed source of TeV gamma rays. At a redshift of 0.129, its detection at TeV energies has important implications for estimating the density of the extragalactic infra-red background radiation. H1426+428 was observed extensively during the 2001/2002 observing season with the Whipple 10 m gamma-ray telescope. The results of these observations are presented here and are combined with the results of previous observations made between 1999 and 2001 at Whipple.