N° 24–2022: Media Invitation: New details about our Milky Way in the third Gaia data release
26 May 2022
Media representatives are invited to join a virtual press event at 13 June 2022 from 10:00 to 11:00 CEST, to learn more about the new data set to be released by ESA’s Gaia mission.
Gaia is ESA’s mission to create the most accurate and complete multi-dimensional map of the Milky Way. This allows astronomers to reconstruct our home galaxy’s past and future evolution over billions of years, better understand the lifecycle of stars, and our place in the Universe.
On 13 June, Gaia’s third full data set will be released, which contains new and improved details for almost two billion objects in our Milky Way and revolutionises our understanding of the galaxy.
The catalogue includes new information, including chemical compositions, stellar temperatures, colours, masses, ages, and the speed at which stars move towards or away from us. Much of this information was revealed by the newly released spectroscopy, a technique in which the starlight is split (like a rainbow). It also lists special subsets of stars, like those that change brightness over time. Also new in this data set is the largest catalogue yet of binary stars in the Milky Way, thousands of Solar System objects such as asteroids and moons of planets, and millions of galaxies and quasars outside the Milky Way.
Together with the new data set, about fifty scientific papers will be published of which nine are specifically dedicated to demonstrating the great potential of Gaia’s new data.
The event will be streamed publicly at esawebtv.esa.int
Speakers:
Josef Aschbacher - ESA Director General
Günther Hasinger - ESA Director of Science
Timo Prusti - Gaia Project Scientist
Anthony Brown – Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium Chair
Antonella Vallenari - Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium Chair Deputy Chair
Conny Aerts - Professor at Leuven University and member of the Gaia Collaboration
Local events by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium
Expert scientists and software developers from across Europe and beyond are teamed up in the Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC). Gaia DPAC, in collaboration with ESA, is responsible for processing and analysing Gaia's data and for producing the Gaia Catalogues. With members from more than 20 countries, the consortium brings together skills and expertise from across the continent, reflecting the international nature and cooperative spirit of ESA itself.
Gaia DPAC organises local events in 13 countries in many different languages. A full overview of all Gaia Data Release 3 events can be found here:
Media registration
Media representatives are invited to register at the following link by Friday, 10 June 2022 the latest:
https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form/
After registering, media will receive additional information and the link to join the online information session (WebEx platform).
The media information session will be streamed at esawebtv.esa.int. Please note, only registered media will be able to ask questions via a dedicated WebEx platform.
For further information, please contact ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – media@esa.int
Further information
Gaia data release 3 media kit: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia/Gaia_data_release_3_media_kit
Gaia for the public: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia
Gaia in-depth: https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/data-release-3
Social media
Follow ESA on
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Hashtags: #GaiaMission #GaiaDR3 #GaiaScience
Images
Gaia images: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=gaia&result_type=images
ESA's photo library for professionals:
https://www.esa-photolibrary.com/
Terms and conditions for using ESA images:
www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images
For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int.
Videos
Gaia animations and videos: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=gaia&result_type=videos
ESA's Video Library for Professionals:
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals
Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions
For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia, Latvia and Lithuania are Associate Members.
ESA has established formal cooperation with five Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int
For further information:
ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – Ninja Menning
Email: media@esa.int
Tel: +31 71 5656409