Advanced Telescopes Reveal Hidden Worlds Orbiting Bright Stars
Astronomers combined Gaia and GRAVITY data to image dim objects near bright stars, potentially revolutionizing the search for nearby exoplanets. Detecting faint objects close to…
ESA Gaia Spacecraft News
ESA’s Gaia satellite, launched by the European Space Agency in December 2013, is a space-based observatory with a mission to create the most precise and comprehensive 3D map of the Milky Way galaxy. Gaia is tasked with measuring the positions, distances, and motions of billions of stars with unprecedented precision. Its objective is to provide a detailed understanding of the structure and dynamics of our galaxy and to answer fundamental questions about its origin and evolution. Gaia’s observations also contribute to the study of other celestial phenomena such as asteroids within our solar system, stars with planets, and distant galaxies. Additionally, Gaia’s data is instrumental in testing theories of gravity and the general structure of the universe. The satellite operates from a point known as the second Lagrange point, or L2, which provides a stable environment for its sensitive measurements. Through its mission, Gaia not only enhances our understanding of the cosmos but also plays a crucial role in advancing the field of astrometry.
Einstein’s Legacy Proven Again With Monumental Black Hole Discovery
Researchers utilizing the European Gaia spacecraft have discovered a black hole in a binary system, located 1,500 light-years away and weighing 33 times the mass…
Record-Breaking Black Hole Discovered Just 2000 Light-Years From Earth
Astronomers have identified a stellar black hole in the Milky Way with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, located only 2000 light-years away….
Scientists Surprised by Sleeping Giant – Most Massive Stellar Black Hole in Our Galaxy Found Lurking Nearby
ESA’s Gaia mission has uncovered a massive dormant black hole in our galaxy, revealing new insights into the formation of stellar-mass black holes and setting…
Floating Crystal Phenomenon Challenges Textbook Definition of White Dwarf Stars
Scientists have discovered that some white dwarfs stop cooling due to internal crystal formation, challenging existing theories on star aging and affecting stellar age estimation…
In a Major Astronomical Feat, 1.3 Million Quasars Illuminate the Universe’s Past
The new map includes around 1.3 million quasars from across the visible universe and could help scientists better understand the properties of dark matter. Astronomers…
Harmonizing the Cosmos: How Scientists Measure Stellar Distances Through Star Music
A team of astronomers has used asteroseismology, or the study of stellar oscillations, to accurately measure the distance of stars from the Earth. Their research…
Redefining Cosmic Norms: Dwarf Galaxies and the Dark Matter Enigma
Recent Gaia satellite findings suggest that dwarf galaxies are transient and less influenced by dark matter than previously believed, challenging long-held assumptions about their nature…
Gaia’s Galactic Cartography: Building the Most Detailed 3D Map of the Milky Way
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Gaia collaboration teams have published new data in the form of five Focused Product Releases. The results are…
Gaia’s Galactic Goldmine: Star Clusters, Cosmic Lenses, Asteroids, and Unforeseen Science
ESA’s Gaia mission has discovered over half a million new stars, pinpointed 150,000 asteroids, and identified 380 cosmic lenses. These findings advance our understanding of…
Gaia Discovers a Mysterious New Type of Black Hole – And Two Are Lurking in Earth’s Cosmic Backyard
ESA’s Gaia mission has helped discover a new kind of black hole. The new family already has two members, and both are closer to Earth…
Astronomers Uncover Black Hole Closer to Earth Than Ever Before
Gemini North Telescope on Hawaii reveals first dormant, stellar-mass black hole. Astronomers have discovered the closest black hole to Earth, the first unambiguous detection of…
Closest Known Black Hole to Earth Identified Using ESA’s Gaia Astrometry Mission
The exciting finding promises numerous similar discoveries. Using data from ESA’s Gaia astrometry mission, astronomers have identified the closest known black hole, less than 1600…
Revealed: First Dormant, Stellar-Mass Black Hole in Our Cosmic Backyard
Astronomers Discover Closest Black Hole to Earth Astronomers have discovered the closest black hole to Earth, which the researchers have dubbed Gaia BH1. The dormant…
Starquakes! Gaia Spacecraft Sees Strange Stars in Most Detailed Milky Way Survey to Date
Gaia is a mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) to create a precise three-dimensional map of more than a billion stars throughout our Milky…
Astronomers Map the Movement of White Dwarfs of the Milky Way
White dwarfs were once normal stars similar to the Sun but then collapsed after exhausting all their fuel. Historically, these interstellar remnants have been difficult…
Gaia Spacecraft Reveals a New Member of the Milky Way Family
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, began forming around 12 billion years ago. Since then, it has been growing in both mass and size through a…
Gaia Spacecraft Discovers Parts of the Milky Way Are Much Older Than Thought
Using data from ESA’s Gaia mission, astronomers have shown that a part of the Milky Way known as the ‘thick disc’ began forming 13 billion…