UK funding has been pivotal in advancing the mission to map the Galaxy, reveals a report published today, along with the newest data from the Gaia mission.
Commissioned by the UK Space Agency, space strategy consultancy know.space assessed the influence of UK’s funding on the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (Gaia) mission.
Since its launch in 2013, Gaia has been charting a 3D map of up to 2.5 billion stars, exoplanets, and other celestial bodies. The objective is to create the “largest and most precise 3D map of the Galaxy ever made.”
The study disclosed the achievements of Gaia since 2014:
- Gaia publications have received over 200,000 citations.
- Papers with UK contribution make up 46% of total citations while representing 31% of publications.
- UK-authored papers hold a 15% share of total citations, representing only 10% of publications.
- On average, UK-authored papers have 35 citations, in contrast to 23 for non-UK involved Gaia papers.
A groundbreaking collaboration was also highlighted in the report. By partnering with the Imaging and Molecular Annotation of Xenografts and Tumors laboratory at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, the UK’s Gaia team has applied star map analysis techniques to cancer research. This unique method aspires to produce the “world’s first virtual reality cancer map,” potentially revolutionizing cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Will Lecky, Director at know.space, commented, “There can be little doubt that Gaia is a scientific success story… The impact is also set to continue for years and decades to come.”
Fascinating stuff. It’s absolutely amazing how tiny our world is compared to the galaxy and then how many galaxies are out there.
Seen the “Pale Blue Dot” photo with the words of Carl Sagan?
It moves me.
People can deride the BBC but it was their collaboration with Sagan that made him a World wide publicly known figure and the World is a far better place for it that’s for sure. For many of us put the Universe on the map so nice to see it being done literally in his very significant footsteps.
I deride the BBC for what I see as a regular lack of impartiality in its news coverage.
I don’t deride the BBC as an organisation or for its other programmes or achievements and it is indeed a great British institution.
Personally DM I think the BBC are actually quite balanced reporting the news, I base this on the fact that all my left leaning friends bitch it’s right wing, all my right wing friends bitch it’s left wing and that seems to trend through social media too. So from that I surmise that they are actually quite balanced otherwise only 1 side would moan.
Apart from its radio presenters bashing Tories and Brexit and ignoring their supposed impartiality when the agenda suits, sure.
And they’re terrorists, not militants.
So I’m defo on the side of your right sided friends!
😂 Love it, It sounds like you’ve been listen to Jeremy Vine who frankly is a bit of a tosspot having had him on site before. Left/Right as long as all are civil and intentions are good I don’t care. Personally I want a nice bang centre political party, that isn’t in it to just stay in power. If I had my way I’d ban political party whips altogether and enact 2 new laws that should make them represent the people “Any MP who votes in a manner obviously against the best interest of their constituents shall removal from their… Read more »
“Personally I want a nice bang centre political party,” Funnily enough, so do I, as I have both left and right sided views. But on the BBC only discussion, as said, I agree with your right sided friends as that is my opinion of BBC news. On internet news opinion and bias, funnily enough, I had this same discussion the other day, no one could explain to me why, when I go on Google News, most, not all, but most, are pieces from The Independent, The Guardian, The Times, all left leaning or anti Brexit/Remain newspapers? Now why is that,… Read more »
Honestly in todays world everything is terrible and does everything wrong and is someone else’s fault. This seems to be the view of so many while not willing to try and do a better job themselves. I love the bbc. Do they do everything correct? No. But they make some great programs and provide news from around the world. The are very careful to be unbiased. That doesn’t suit everyone especially when they don’t agree with your viewpoint. Where they have got a bit sidetracked is giving time to people who present their viewpoint as fact. A big disclaimer should… Read more »
What could be even more mind blowing is that we are the equivalent of tiny organisms living in a pond and there are life forms actually many times bigger living outside of what we see on giant planets and so on.
We are specs inside a hoover bag while they are outside the bag doing the housework😂😂😂😂😂