What is the precision targeted by the Gaia mission for its brightest stars based on cumulative data?
Answer
About 10 microarcseconds
The capability of the Gaia mission represents a significant technological leap over historical ground-based astrometry, which struggled to maintain precision beyond the microarcsecond level for consistent observations. Gaia's design aims for a cumulative precision that will eventually reach about 10 microarcseconds for its brightest observed stars. This level of stability and accuracy across vast numbers of stars over its multi-year survey is what empowers scientists to anticipate the detection of tens of thousands of new worlds, as this precision is sufficient to resolve the subtle movements induced by orbiting planets.
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