Science Quickly Saying Farewell to the Spacecraft That Mapped the Milky Way
Feb 26, 2025
Lee Billings, Senior space and physics editor for Scientific American, dives into the remarkable journey of the Gaia spacecraft, which expertly mapped the Milky Way for 11 years. He shares insights on its three trillion observations, revealing discoveries about tidal streams, black holes, and asteroids. Billings also discusses Gaia's legacy in galactic archaeology and the future of astronomical exploration, hinting at potential data releases that could unveil thousands of new exoplanets. An engaging look at the end of one mission and the start of another!
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Gaia's Mission and Data
- Gaia, launched in 2013 by the European Space Agency, maps the Milky Way by observing star movements, luminosities, temperatures, and compositions.
- Unlike telescopes like Hubble, Gaia's data comprises a massive catalog of observations rather than images.
Galactic Archaeology and Dark Matter
- Gaia's data has revealed insights into galactic archaeology, showing remnants of past galaxy mergers and tidal streams of stars.
- One stream suggests the presence of a dark matter clump, potentially offering evidence for this elusive substance.
Gaia's Retirement and Future Data Releases
- Gaia's science observations ended on January 15th, but the spacecraft will move to a graveyard orbit after tests.
- Future data releases are expected to yield significant discoveries, particularly regarding exoplanets.