We present new near-infrared and optical spectroscopic observations which confirm the redshift of the z = 1.44 extremely red object ERO J164502+4626.4 ( object # 10 of Hu & Ridgway 1994 ; formerly known as ‘ HR 10 ’ or ‘ [ HR94 ] 10 ’ ) and a Hubble Space Telescope image which reveals a reflected-S–shaped morphology at ( rest–frame ) near-ultraviolet wavelengths .
The contrast between the rest–frame far-red ( \lambda \lambda 8200 - 9800 Å ) and near-UV ( \lambda \lambda 2900 - 3900 Å ) morphologies suggests that the central regions of the galaxy are heavily obscured by dust and that the galaxy is most likely an interacting or disturbed system .
We also present new photometry of this object at 450 { \mu m } , 850 { \mu m } and 1350 { \mu m } obtained using the SCUBA submillimeter camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope .
Our sub-mm data are extremely sensitive to emission from cold dust at high redshift .
The rest–frame spectral energy distribution of ERO J164502+4626.4 is best understood in terms of a highly reddened stellar population with ongoing star formation , as originally suggested by Graham & Dey ( 1996 ) .
The new submillimeter data presented here indicate that the remarkable similarity to ultraluminous infrared galaxies ( ULIRGs ) such as Arp 220 and Mrk 231 extends into the rest-frame far-infrared which bears the signature of thermal emission from dust , presumably heated by young stars .
ERO J164502+4626.4 is extremely luminous ( L \approx 7 \times 10 ^ { 12 } h _ { 50 } ^ { -2 } { L _ { \odot } } ) and dusty ( M _ { dust } \approx 7 \times 10 ^ { 8 } ( T _ { dust } / { 40 K } ) ^ { -5 } h _ { 50 } ^ { -2 } { M% _ { \odot } } ) .
If its luminosity is powered by young hot stars , then ERO J164502+4626.4 is forming stars at the prodigious rate of { { \dot { M } } } = 1000 - 2000 ~ { } h _ { 50 } ^ { -2 } { M _ { \odot } } yr ^ { -1 } .
We conclude that ERO J164502+4626.4 is a distant analogue of the nearby ULIRG population , the more distant or less luminous counterparts of which may be missed by even the deepest existing optical surveys .
The sub-mm emitters recently discovered by deep SCUBA surveys may be galaxies similar to ERO J164502+4626.4 ( but perhaps more distant ) .
This population of extremely dusty galaxies may also contribute significantly to the cosmic sub-mm background emission .