ESA’s Gaia mission – Astronomy Now

Earth detectable, in theory, from more than 2,000 nearby star systems

24 June 2021 Astronomy Now

More than 2,000 star systems found within 326 light years that have been or will be in position to detect Earth as it transits the Sun.

Astronomers spot merging galaxies hosting dual quasars

7 April 2021 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have spotted two pairs of quasars in the cores of merging galaxies just a few billion years after the birth of the cosmos, shedding light on galactic evolution.

A surprising swarm of black holes found in nearby globular cluster

11 February 2021 Astronomy Now

Astronomers find signs of multiple stellar-mass black holes at the heart of a nearby globular cluster.

GAIA data indicates ongoing collision causing Milky Way’s warp

4 March 2020 Astronomy Now

Data from ESA’s Gaia satellite suggests an ongoing collision with a dwarf galaxy may be responsible for distorting the Milky Way’s disc.

Analysis shows 1-in-6 stars may host Earth-size planets

16 August 2019 Astronomy Now

A new analysis shows roughly Earth-size planets in habitable-zone orbits can likely be found around one in six relatively nearby Sun-like stars.

Precision ground tracking critical to Gaia mapping

15 May 2019 Astronomy Now

High-precision tracking by ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope and others improves the accuracy of ESA’s galaxy-mapping Gaia spacecraft.

Milky Way tips the scales at 1.5 trillion solar masses

11 March 2019 Astronomy Now

Data from ESA’s Gaia spacecraft and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope show the Milky Way galaxy tips the scales at around 1.5 trillion solar masses.

Gravity waves may help resolve Hubble constant conundrum

16 February 2019 Astronomy Now

Over the next 10 years, researchers say, gravitational waves from merging neutron stars may resolve discrepancies in the value of the Hubble constant.

Direct evidence of white dwarf crystallisation found

10 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Using data collected by ESA’s Gaia spacecraft, researchers have found direct evidence that white dwarfs eventually crystallise as they slowly cool after running out of fuel.

Data indicate Milky Way smash up 10 billion years ago

4 November 2018 Astronomy Now

Data from ESA’s Gaia spacecraft indicate a large galaxy collided with the Milky Way about 10 billion years ago, leaving identifiable stars strewn in its wake to help astronomers piece together our galaxy’s history.