A Mission to Map the Galaxy
First comprehensive report on the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission for a general audience
- Presents the scientific results available to date
- Places the mission within its overall historical and scientific context
- Explains the mission’s importance and likely scientific consequences
This book is the first to provide a comprehensive, readily understandable report on the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission that will meet the needs of a general audience. It takes the reader on an exciting journey of discovery, explaining how such a scientific satellite is made, presenting the scientific results available from Gaia to date, and examining how the collected data will be used and their likely scientific consequences.
The Gaia mission will provide a complete and high-precision map of the positions, distances, and motions of the stars in our galaxy. It will revolutionize our knowledge on the origin and evolution of the Milky Way, on the effects of mysterious dark matter, and on the birth and evolution of stars and extrasolar planets. The Gaia satellite was launched in December 2013 and has a foreseen operational lifetime of five to six years, culminating in a final stellar catalogue in the early 2020s. This book will appeal to all who have an interest in the mission and the profound impact that it will have on astronomy.
The author Gabriella Bernardi holds a degree in Physics and a Master’s degree in Scientific Communication. After having worked at Alenia Spazio in Turin (Rosetta mission), she decided to devote all of her time to science, and especially astronomy.
The author Alberto Vecchiato is an astrophysicist who holds a degree in Physics and a PhD in Space Science and Technology. He has worked at the Astrophysical Observatory of Turin, Italy, since 2001, where his main activity has always been on the ESA Gaia mission.
