Astronomers have directly measured the mass of a Saturn-sized rogue planet drifting in space using gravitational microlensing, marking a significant advancement in studying free-floating planets that do not orbit stars. This breakthrough was achieved through a rare cosmic alignment observed from Earth and the Gaia space telescope, demonstrating a new method to analyze these elusive celestial bodies.
Scientists propose using the Gaia space telescope to search for exotic dark matter objects like boson stars and Q-balls through microlensing, which could reveal their presence or set limits on their contribution to dark matter, potentially transforming our understanding of the universe's unseen mass.
Scientists using Gaia data have discovered a massive wave rippling through the Milky Way's disc, affecting stars thousands of light-years from the center, likely caused by past galactic interactions, though the exact cause remains unknown.
Scientists using Gaia data have discovered a massive wave rippling through the Milky Way's disc, stretching over thousands of lightyears, but the cause remains unknown, with possibilities including past galactic collisions.
Astronomers using Gaia data have discovered a massive wave rippling through the outer disk of the Milky Way, revealing complex motions and possible past disturbances in our galaxy's structure, with future Gaia data expected to refine these findings.
Astronomers using ESA's Gaia telescope have discovered a colossal wave rippling through the Milky Way, originating from its center and affecting a large portion of the galaxy, possibly caused by a past galactic encounter or related to other galactic structures, revealing new insights into our galaxy's dynamic behavior.
Gaia telescope data reveals a giant wave rippling through the Milky Way's outer disc, caused by large-scale vertical motions of stars, possibly due to past galactic interactions, offering new insights into our galaxy's dynamic structure.
The Gaia Space Telescope has created a detailed 3D map of the Milky Way's star-forming regions up to 4000 light-years away, revealing new insights into stellar nurseries, including the presence of 44 million stars and 87 rare O-type stars, captured in a stunning space image and accompanying video.
Astronomers have created the most detailed 3D map of star-forming regions in the Milky Way using data from the Gaia telescope, revealing the structure and influence of massive stars in our galaxy's stellar nurseries, with future data expected to expand this view.
Astronomers using the Gaia space telescope have accidentally captured the biggest space explosions since the Big Bang, called extreme nuclear transients (ENTs), which are massive, long-lasting flares caused by stars being torn apart by supermassive black holes, providing new insights into black hole growth and galaxy evolution.
Scientists have discovered the most intense cosmic explosions, called extreme nuclear transients (ENTs), which are significantly brighter and longer-lasting than typical supernovae, occurring when massive stars are torn apart by supermassive black holes. These events, observed via the Gaia telescope, offer new insights into black hole growth and the universe's history, and future telescopes are expected to find more of them.
A groundbreaking study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics provides the first 3D kinematic analysis of multiple stellar populations in 16 globular clusters, revealing key insights into their formation and evolution. Conducted by researchers from INAF, the University of Bologna, and Indiana University, the study shows that globular clusters formed through multiple star formation events, with stars exhibiting distinct kinematic properties based on their chemical composition. This research, utilizing data from the ESA Gaia telescope and ESO VLT, offers a new framework for understanding these ancient cosmic structures.
The European space telescope Gaia has discovered a massive stellar-mass black hole, Gaia-BH3, just 2,000 light years from Earth, making it the second-closest black hole to our planet ever discovered. This landmark finding represents the first time such a massive black hole with a stellar origin has been found close to Earth. The discovery sheds light on the population of dormant stellar black holes in our galaxy and challenges previous assumptions about the formation of black holes.
Two ancient streams of stars, named Shiva and Shakti, have been discovered near the center of the Milky Way, dating back to nearly 13 billion years ago. Identified using data from the Gaia telescope, these streams provide insight into the galaxy's early formation and growth, shedding light on its infancy and evolution. The discovery highlights the valuable role of galactic archaeology in understanding the history of the Milky Way and the significance of precise data collection in uncovering surprise elements of our cosmic history.
Astronomers have discovered two massive streams of stars, named Shiva and Shakti, near the center of the Milky Way. These ancient structures, containing stars up to 13 billion years old, may be some of the earliest building blocks of our galaxy. The stars in Shiva and Shakti are extremely metal poor, indicating that they are among the oldest in the Milky Way. The discovery was made using the Gaia space telescope, and further research will help understand how these streams contributed to the galaxy's evolution.
