Infrared- and millimetre-wavelength observations of galaxies in the early Universe would reveal their detailed properties, but such data have not been available for the dusty metal-rich galaxies typical of those in which most stars form. Now Darach Watson et al. present infrared spectra and millimetre-wavelength continuum observations of the high-redshift galaxy A1689-zDl, an archetypal star-forming galaxy, allowing its dust mass, total star-formation rate and dust-to-gas ratio to be determined. They calculate its redshift as z = 7.5, with a total star-formation rate of about 12 solar masses per year. The galaxy is highly evolved, with a dust-to-gas ratio dose to that of the Milky Way. A dusty, normal galaxy in the epoch of reionization D Watson et al. doi:10.1038ature14164.
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