Discovery of 'Monster' Galaxy Lurking in Distant Dust Clouds

Check out our new study published in the Astrophysical Journal today using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) to serendipitously discover a ‘monster’ galaxy that is almost fully obscured by a shroud of dust over 12 billion light years from us. We argue that this ALMA-only source may comprise a rare, undiscovered population of massive galaxies in the universe. You can read more about this ‘Cosmic Yeti’ in our local story or the original press release led by Dr. Christina Williams (UMass PhD, 2014). There is also a cool animation of what this galaxy might look like, but think of this more like a time-lapse movie over roughly millions of years for us to see that many supernova explosions.

We are humbled by the extensive media coverage resulting from our new study. Media coverage following the initial press releases includes CNN, FoxNews, Boston Globe, Forbes, Newsweek, Smithsonian, and more. More local highlights include a story printed in the Boston Globe, front page of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, discussion on local radio, a radio interview with lead author Williams in Arizona, and tv media coverage on CBS Boston, NBC Boston, and Western Mass News.

An artist’s impression of what a massive galaxy in the early universe might look like. The galaxy is undergoing an explosion of star formation, lighting up the gas surrounding the galaxy. Thick clouds of dust obscure most of the light, causing the galaxy to look dim and disorganized, very different from galaxies seen today.

Image Credit: James Josephides (Swinburne Astronomy Productions), Christina Williams (University of Arizona), Ivo Labbé (Swinburne).