ULAS J1120+0641是由位于夏威夷的英国红外线望远镜所进行的英国红外深空巡天项目(UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey,UKIDSS)所发现的[7]。它的名字中ULAS是UKIDSS Large Area Survey的缩写,J是指历元为J2000,1120+0641指这颗类星体位于赤经11h 20m,赤纬+06° 41′的天区(属于狮子座,位于恒星西上将附近)。ULAS J1120+0641是在波长较长、能量较低的红外线波段发现的。而当光线从ULAS J1120+0641射出时,它是以波长短、能量高的紫外线形式发射的,但由于宇宙空间膨胀,光线的能量和波长发生改变,天体发出的光波被拉长,谱线因此出现红移[8]。
^ Steve Warren; Daniel Mortlock; et al. Photometry of the z=7.08 quasar ULAS J1120+0641. Spitzer Proposals. 2011-05, 80114. Bibcode:2011sptz.prop80114W.
^Jackson, Nicholas. Early Quasar Is Brightest Object Ever Found in the Universe. The Atlantic. 30 June 2011 [30 June 2011]. (原始内容存档于2021-04-14). ULAS J1120+0641 took the brightest object title from another quasar that wasn't formed until about 100 million years later, when the universe was 870 million years old.
^Philip F. Hopkins, Gordon T. Richard, Lars Hernquist. An Observational Determination of the Bolometric Quasar Luminosity Function. The Astrophysical Journal Volume 654 Number 2 doi:10.1086/509629 (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)