Gaia Sky

{{Short description|Open-source astronomy visualisation program}}

{{Infobox software

| name = Gaia Sky

| logo = Gaia Sky icon.png

| screenshot = Saturn_dramatic_background.jpg

| caption = Saturn with its moons in Gaia Sky

| author = Toni Sagristà Sellés

| developer = Toni Sagristà Sellés

| released = {{Start date and age|2014}}

| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q106287360|P348|P548=Q2804309}}

| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q106287360|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}

| repo = {{URL|https://codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaiasky}}

| operating system = Linux, macOS and Microsoft Windows

| programming language = Java, GLSL

| size = Linux: 90 MB
macOS: 95 MB
Windows: 88 MB
tar.gz package: 41 MB
Source code: 9.77 MB

| genre = Educational software Space simulator

| license = Mozilla Public License

| website = {{URL|https://gaiasky.space}}

}}

Gaia Sky is an open-source astronomy visualisation desktop and VR program with versions for Windows, Linux and macOS. It is created and developed by Toni Sagristà Sellés in the framework of ESA's Gaia mission to create a billion-star multi-dimensional map of our Milky Way Galaxy, in the Gaia group of the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut (ZAH, Universität Heidelberg). Gaia Sky is a product of the outreach working group of the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium. The software is released under the Mozilla Public License.

File:Gaia satellite gaiasky.jpg

The inner workings of Gaia Sky are described in detail in the paper Gaia Sky: Navigating the Gaia Catalog.{{cite journal |last1=Sagristà |first1=Antoni |last2=Jordan |first2=Stefan |last3=Müller |first3=Thomas |last4=Sadlo |first4=Filip |title=Gaia Sky: Navigating the Gaia Catalog |journal=IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics |date=Jan 2019 |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=1070–1079 |doi=10.1109/TVCG.2018.2864508 |pmid=30130201 |s2cid=52055837 }}

Gaia Sky offers many advanced features like the stereoscopic (3D), planetarium and panorama renderers. It also works with virtual reality headsets through OpenXR,{{cite news |title=Explore the Milky Way in VR with Gaia Sky |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/explore-the-milky-way-in-vr-with-gaia-sky-1.3481481 |newspaper=The Irish Times |publisher=IT |accessdate=29 March 2021}} is fully scriptable with Python{{cite web |title=Navigate the galaxy with Gaia Sky |url=https://www.downloadcrew.com/news/38198/navigate_the_galaxy_with_gaia_sky |website=Download CREW |accessdate=29 March 2021}} and features game controller support that makes it possible to operate it even with a racing wheel.{{cite web |title=Using an iRacing setup for Gaia Sky |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J7AbWQNZjc |website=Youtube | date=15 January 2019 |publisher=Google |accessdate=29 March 2021}}

Gaia Sky is used by ESA to aid in the video production of Gaia Data Releases.{{cite web |title=Visualising the Gaia data with Gaia Sky |url=https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/gaiadr2_gaiasky |website=Gaia Cosmos |publisher=ESA |accessdate=29 March 2021}}{{cite web |title=Bridge of stars |url=https://sci.esa.int/web/gaia/-/bridge-of-stars |website=Gaia Cosmos |publisher=ESA |accessdate=29 March 2021}}{{cite web |title=The acceleration of the Solar System with respect to the distant Universe |url=https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/edr3-acceleration-solar-system |website=Gaia Cosmos |publisher=ESA |accessdate=29 March 2021}} A video made with Gaia Sky was also featured in the Astronomy Picture of the Day website.{{cite web |title=Here comes the Sun |url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160926.html |website=Astronomy Picture of the Day |publisher=ASD at NASA |accessdate=9 December 2019}}