The Billion Pixel Camera
A visit to the factory that made the Gaia space telescope, which will help answer questions about the Milky Way, including what lies at its centre.
The Milky Way, our galaxy, is a magnificent sight in the night sky, but we know surprisingly little about it for certain. What is its shape? How many stars does it actually contain? What lies at its centre?
The Gaia space telescope will answer these questions, being armed with the most advanced camera to leave our planet, and it will allow us to see our galaxy as we've never seen it before. The Sky at Night visits the factory in Chelmsford that made the astonishing sensor at the heart of the mission.
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How can I get involved with the Gaia project?
Grab your telescope and help classify the dramatic events spotted by Gaia
Clips
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Starguide: January 2015
Duration: 01:25
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How dark matter shapes our galaxy
Duration: 07:56
Meet January's guest experts
Milky Way taster
Gaia is about to transform our understanding of the Milky Way galaxy. Watch past BBC clips to find out what we think we already know.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Chris Lintott |
| Presenter | Maggie Aderin-Pocock |
| Series Producer | Rob Liddell |
| Executive Producer | Jonathan Renouf |
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