Understanding Gaia: A Mission to Map the Galaxy (Springer Praxis Books)

First comprehensive report on the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission for a general audience

Presents the scientific results available to date

Places the mission within its overall historical and scientific context

Explains the mission’s importance and likely scientific consequences

Gabriella Bernardi holds a degree in Physics and a Master’s degree in Scientific Communication. After having worked at Alenia Spazio in Turin (Rosetta mission), she decided to devote all of her time to science, and especially astronomy. She is currently a freelance journalist for magazines and periodicals and was also involved in the Planetarium and Museum of Astronomy and Space in Pino Torinese. She has won an Italian award for popular science journalism. She is the author of three books aimed at popularizing astronomy among children and young people and of The Unforgotten Sisters – Female Astronomers and Scientists before Caroline Herschel, published by Springer. She has also written a biography of the astronomer Giovanni Cassini, which will be released soon, again by Springer.

Alberto Vecchiato is an astrophysicist who holds a degree in Physics and a PhD in Space Science and Technology. He has worked at the Astrophysical Observatory ofTurin, Italy, since 2001, where his main activity has always been on the ESA Gaia mission, in particular in the fields of reconstruction of the astrometric sphere and testing of General Relativity. His professional interests also include High-Performance Computing, Archeoastronomy, and Education. He has published more than 80 scientific works and several popular science papers.