Gaia is a European Space Agency observatory designed to make the most precise three-dimensional map of the Milky Way. It was launched from Kourou in French Guiana on a Soyuz rocket and placed near the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2. Gaia measured the positions, distances and motions of well over a billion stars, along with their brightness and colours, with extraordinary accuracy. Its data releases have led to advances in the study of the structure and history of the galaxy, the detection of exoplanets and the discovery of binary stars, asteroids and distant quasars. The spacecraft ended its science observations in 2025 and was retired.
Before and after
- from December 2013 to June 2016Western African Ebola virus epidemic
- 2 December 2013Premiere of Rick and Morty
- 5 December 2013Death of Nelson Mandela
- 8 December 2013Introduction of Dogecoin
- 19 December 2013Launch of Gaia
- 2014Child abductions in the Russo-Ukrainian war
- 2014Origins of Champions Hockey League
- 2014Discovery of Gliese 832 c
- from 1 January 2014 to 9 December 2017Iraqi Civil War of 2014–2017
More in Universe & space
- 4 October 1957Launch of Sputnik 1
- 20 August 1977Launch of Voyager 2
- 28 July 1989Discovery of Galatea
- 23 July 1995Discovery of Comet Hale-Bopp
- 15 May 2005Discovery of Hydra
- 10 September 2005Discovery of Dysnomia
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 21st century.