First Milky Way map data released

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released the first batch of data from its ambitious mission to chart more than 1-billion stars in the Milky Way. The huge stellar census is on track for completion next year (2017), with astrophysicists hopeful it will help resolve mysteries about the origin and evolution of the galaxy.

All-sky view of stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, and neighbouring galaxies, based on the first year of observations from ESA's Gaia satellite Source: AAP