The discovery of a z _ { abs } = 0.0912 damped Ly \alpha absorption-line system in the HST-FOS ultraviolet spectrum of the quasar OI 363 ( 0738+313 ) is reported .
This is the lowest redshift quasar damped Ly \alpha system known .
Its neutral hydrogen column density is N ( \ion H 1 ) = 1.5 \pm 0.2 \times 10 ^ { 21 } atoms cm ^ { -2 } , which easily exceeds the classical criterion for damped Ly \alpha of N ( \ion H 1 ) \geq 2 \times 10 ^ { 20 } atoms cm ^ { -2 } .
Remarkably , a z _ { abs } = 0.2212 damped system with N ( \ion H 1 ) = 7.9 \pm 1.4 \times 10 ^ { 20 } atoms cm ^ { -2 } has also been discovered in the same spectrum .

In the past , the standard paradigm for damped Ly \alpha systems has been that they arise in galactic or protogalactic \ion H1 disks with low impact parameters in luminous galaxies .
However , WIYN imaging of the OI 363 field shows that none of the galaxies visible in the vicinity of the quasar is a luminous gas-rich spiral with low impact parameter , either at z = 0.0912 or z = 0.2212 .
Thus , these damped systems are among the clearest examples yet of cases that are inconsistent with the standard damped Ly \alpha - HI-disk paradigm .