The discovery of a low-redshift, red quasar in the 2MASS prototype survey

A prototype camera designed to test the observing and data reduction techniques for the 2 Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) has been used to search for extremely red objects. Selection criteria based on the combination of near-IR and visible light observations help separate the vast majority of ordinary stars from more exotic objects. Visible spectroscopic observations for objects selected using these criteria in an area of just a few tenths of a square degree has resulted in the discovery of a quasar with a redshift of 0.147. The number of quasars expected at K(s) in the 2MASS survey based on typical quasar colors and on the surface density of optically selected samples is similar to 0.17 deg(-2). The 2MASS survey will result in a sample of quasars relatively unbiased by the presence of dust and will allow a reliable determination of whether there is a significant population of quasars with internal dust absorption.