Gaia sees stellar nurseries (animation still)

This is a still image of the animation showing Gaia’s star-formation map in 3D.

In this animation we fly around the star-formation map in our Milky Way galaxy. The areas that are mapped reach out to 4000 light-years from our Sun. They are shown as reddish clouds.

This map will teach us more about these obscure cloudy areas, and the hot young stars that shape them.

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[Image description: This image captures a richly detailed section of the Milky Way, showcasing a tapestry of stars and glowing nebulas. Against a deep black cosmic backdrop, countless white stars sparkle like scattered diamonds. Wisps of reddish-pink nebulas drift across the scene, forming delicate tendrils and cloud-like structures.]