Astronomers are delighted with a new update to the 3D map of the Milky Way. 1.8 billion stars can be seen in detail on the map.
The data was collected by the Gaia satellite, which determined the stars’ diameter, phase of life, surface temperature and brightness, among other things. The new data has been incorporated into an update of the three-dimensional map that was made a few years ago.
Because the new data has now been made public by the European space agency ESA, scientists can get started with it. “I think that all kinds of discoveries will be made in the coming years,” says Hugo Batema of Observatory Almere Flevoland broadcaster.
Previous updates have led, among other things, to scientists discovering a kind of ‘nursery’ in a corner of the Milky Way, where new stars are born.
This is how Gaia maps the starry sky:
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