3MM-1 (also known as COS-3mm-1) is a star-forming galaxy about 12.5 billion light-years away that is obscured by clouds of dust.[3] It is located in the constellation of Sextans. It was first detected in spectroscopic data on rotational transitions of carbon monoxide obtained using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array from 23-24 December 2018, as detailed in an article that was published on 22 October 2019. The authors of this article described the discovery as "serendipitous",[2] since the focus of their planned observations had been on galaxies at redshifts near 1.5 that are quiescent — i.e. do not form stars — and directly observable, yet 3MM-1 was found at a redshift of about 5.5, is forming stars and not directly observable.[2][4] In the same dataset, another dust-obscured star-forming galaxy, 3MM-2, was found at a redshift of about 3.3.[2]
3MM-1 | |
---|---|
Observation data (J2000[1] epoch) | |
Constellation | Sextans |
Right ascension | 10h 02m 36.82s[2] |
Declination | +02° 08′ 40.60″[2] |
Redshift | 5.5+1.2 −1.1[2] |
Distance | 12.5×109 light years[3] |
Characteristics | |
Mass | 1010.8[3] M☉ |
Other designations | |
[WLS2019] 3MM-1 |
In early 2021, a more precise estimate of 3MM-1's redshift was published, according to which the value is z = 5.857 ± 0.001.[5]
3MM-1 has a mass of about 1010.8 solar masses, and stars form in it at about 100 times the rate as in the Milky Way.[3]