It has a redshift of 3.207, estimating the object to be located 11.3 billion light-years away from Earth.

[1][2] PKS 1402+044 is classified as a broad absorption-line quasar (BAL QSO) observed by Sloan Digital Sky Survey[3] with a flat-spectrum radio source.

[4][5] It is also classified a blazar, a type of active galaxy[6][7] and such produces a powerful astrophysical jet that is shot out into the depths of intergalactic space.

[8] The blazar is known to be in its quiescent state, but it shows repeated periods of outbursts that are visible throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.

[9] According to observations from Gamma-Ray Blazar Survey and Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, PKS 1402+044 is found optically variable with >6σ significance,[10] γ-ray detected and more Compton dominated than high synchrotron peaked (HSP) BL Lac objects.