20 times more precise: Gaia maps 150 000+ asteroid orbits

ESA's star-surveying Gaia mission has released a treasure trove of new data as part of its ‘focused product release’. One of the new papers reveals more about 156 823 of the asteroids identified as part of Gaia DR3, the orbits of which are shown in this image. The new dataset pinpoints the positions of these rocky bodies over nearly double the previous timespan, making most of their orbits – based on Gaia observations alone – 20 times more precise.

This image utilises DR3 data to show the 156 823 asteroid orbits. The wider blue and yellow circles in the frame show planetary orbits, while the myriad colourful inner swirls are asteroids. The central region all lies within the orbit of Jupiter (blue circle). See more on these asteroids.

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Alt-text: This image shows many looping and overlapping orbits encircling the Sun, all of different colours (to differentiate between asteroids). The centre of the image – representing an area within the orbit of Jupiter – is very densely packed with orbits, while the outer edges remain clearer, showing the background plane of the Milky Way.

Acknowledgements: Stefan Jordan, Toni Sagristà, Paolo Tanga; Gaia Sky (developed by Toni Sagristà); Gaia DR3 data

Credits: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Taken on: October 10, 2023

Tags:

Astronomy

Milky Way

Gaia Mission European Space Agency

Space

Universe

Cosmos

Space Science

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Sets appears in: • Gaia

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