While Gaia observes the same stars numerous times and at various epochs, up until now ESA just published balanced measurements. It did not prevent Gaia to determine variable stars, but characteristics such as their instant photometry and radial speeds utilized in the classification procedure are not published. As we await Gaia DR4 where all observations (date and averaged) will be available, a partial publication of the highest quality time series of data obtained for 9164 Long Period Variables belongs to these Focused Product Releases, and will help the clinical neighborhood to get ready for the wealth of information Gaia will provide in 2025.
The ESA-Gaia spacecraft has repeatedly observed the spectrum of an unprecedented amount of cool huge stars– called Mira variables– known to continuously expand and contract their surfaces over long periods, in some cases of more than one year. This artist ´ s impression of a Mira star demonstrates how the velocity of the surface area motions and of its environment are properly determined from the (Doppler) shifts of dark lines observed in the comprehensive Gaia spectra. Credit: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Comprehending Interstellar Phenomena
The space in between stars is not totally empty. Extra broad features, named Diffuse Interstellar Bands, also appear in the spectra of stars. Such Diffuse Interstellar Bands are present in the Gaia Radial Velocity Spectrometers wavelength variety and are used to trace its formation in the Milky Way disk and its spiral arms.
For 3 gravitationally lensed quasars (from delegated right: H1413 +117, J2240 +0321 and J1310-1714), we display in the leading row the Gaia DR3 positions (without special treatment of the quasar environment) outlined over ground-based PanSTARRS images. The bottom row reveals artificial images rebuilded from Gaias Focused Product Release (with quasar environment analysis carried out). Observations taken from ground can be a bit fuzzy, due to the atmosphere. With Gaias exceptional resolution, these pictures of the gravitationally lensed source are dealt with. Credit: “Gaia Focused Product Release: A catalog of sources around quasars to search for highly lensed quasars” by Gaia Collaboration, A. Krone-Martins, et al. 2023.
From Quasars to Asteroids
At one end of its distance scale, near the limit of our observable universe, Gaia detects quasars. During the last months, Gaia groups determined 381 new prospect lensed mirages and quasars.
At the other end of the range scale, Gaia teams recycled 156,764 asteroids, but utilizing 66 months of information rather than the 34 months of Gaia DR3. Therefore, the observations of a lot of main-belt asteroids now cover a total revolution around the Sun, closing the orbit, causing a remarkable increase in the accuracy of the orbits.
Contributions and Future Expectations
The expertise of the astrophysicists from the KU Leuven, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Université libre de Bruxelles, Universiteit Antwerpen, and Université de Liège plays an essential role in the processing and analysis of Gaia data in general, and in the application of the focused item releases in specific. They are supported in their efforts by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) via the PRODEX Programme of ESA. In addition to providing brand-new data to match the 3rd variation of the Gaia catalog, the Focused Product Releases are a proof-of-concept of different new features implemented in the data analysis pipeline producing Gaia DR4 with twice more data. They provide a beneficial and needed summary of all the pledges that the fourth version of the brochure will satisfy.
Gaia is creating an extremely precise three-dimensional map of more than a billion stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy and beyond. Gaias incredibly precise distances, motions, and basic specifications of stars, as well as the classification of quasars and the precise astrometry of asteroids are now part of the daily work and research study of the majority of astronomers.
As we wait for Gaia DR4 where all observations (epoch and balanced) will be offered, a partial publication of the greatest quality time series of data gotten for 9164 Long Period Variables is part of these Focused Product Releases, and will assist the clinical neighborhood to prepare for the wealth of data Gaia will deliver in 2025.
Credit: “Gaia Focused Product Release: A brochure of sources around quasars to browse for highly lensed quasars” by Gaia Collaboration, A. Krone-Martins, et al. 2023.
In addition to supplying new information to match the 3rd variation of the Gaia catalog, the Focused Product Releases are a proof-of-concept of numerous new features carried out in the data analysis pipeline producing Gaia DR4 with twice more data.
Gaia is developing an extremely exact three-dimensional map of more than a billion stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy and beyond. It is mapping their movements, temperature, luminosity, and composition. This substantial excellent census will supply the data required to tackle a massive variety of important questions associated with the origin, structure, and evolutionary history of our galaxy.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Gaia partnership groups have released brand-new data in the kind of five Focused Product Releases. The results are extremely promising, making this shipment a very first teaser of what will be the fourth variation of the Gaia brochure (Gaia DR4), anticipated by the end of 2025.
The Gaia satellite has been charting the sky because 2014, and its map includes stars that are a million times fainter than can be seen with the naked eye. Released in June 2022, the 3rd variation of the most comprehensive and complete brochure of stars (Gaia DR3) is a milestone in astrophysical research. Gaias extremely accurate ranges, motions, and essential criteria of stars, in addition to the category of quasars and the accurate astrometry of asteroids are now part of the everyday work and research study of most astronomers.
Artists view of the Gaia satellite in front of the Milky Way. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab; background: ESO/S. Brunier
Highlights and Discoveries
One of the masterpieces of the newly released data is the globular cluster Omega Centauri. The cluster includes about 10 million stars really largely loaded on the sky, challenging Gaia to fix them. In view of Gaia DR4, numerous methods are predicted to process the data in the densest and most intriguing regions. The reprocessing of the Omega Centauri cluster allowed recovering the astrometry and photometry of 526,587 more stars found in its core.
