Topic description and stories

Gaia creates richest star map of our Galaxy – and beyond

25 Apr 2018

The European Space Agency’s Gaia mission has produced the richest star catalogue to date, including high-precision measurements of nearly 1.7 billion...

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Soyuz VS06, with Gaia space observatory, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport, French Guiana, on 19 December 2013

Stellar stuff: outreach programme brings Gaia into schools

24 Mar 2014

A Cambridge-led outreach project is connecting over 2,200 pupils with the excitement of ESA’s Gaia mission through a Q&A session that will take...

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Gaia satellite

Gaia’s mission: solving the celestial puzzle

19 Dec 2013

A space mission to create the largest, most-accurate, map of the Milky Way in three dimensions has been launched today. Astronomers say the data...

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Cambridge one of two UK institutions at highest level of ESA’s next Large Mission

28 Nov 2013

European Space Agency announces broad plan for major space science missions over the next two decades, with Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy...

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Galactic ‘vapour trails’ uncovered in giant cluster

20 Sep 2013

Astronomers have discovered enormous smooth shapes that look like vapour trails in a gigantic galaxy cluster. These ‘arms’ span half a million light...

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Gaia Deployable Sunshield Assembly

Twinkle, twinkle, little star: I’m going to know what you are

26 Apr 2012

A team of astronomers at the University of Cambridge is taking the next big step in a European-wide programme which will lead to the creation of the...

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