Astronomy Live: Gaia’s New View of Our Galaxy

The European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft is shaped like a cylindrical stack topped by a wide, round sunshield and skirt and is positioned in a star field.

Artist’s impression of Gaia mapping the stars of the Milky Way.
ESA/ATG medialab; background: ESO/S. Brunier

Tuesday, December 8, 2026

7 pm

Hayden Planetarium Space Theater

Enter at 81st Street/Rose Center for Earth and Space.
Please note: Due to this program’s format, guests who arrive after 7:15 pm will not be allowed to enter the theater.

General Public: $20
Members: $15

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On December 2, 2026, the European Space Agency is expected to drop a major new collection of data from its Gaia mission, based on five and a half years of observations.

Join Museum Curator and astrophysicist Jackie Faherty for an extraordinary tour of the Milky Way using this newly released data. Explore the largest and most precise map of our galaxy and discover what this unprecedented view reveals about the stars, structure, and history of our cosmic home.

This program utilizes OpenSpace software supported by NASA under award No NNX16AB93A. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.