Gaia Data Release 3

The European Space Agency announced that Gaia Data Release 3 will be split into two releases, both based on the same 34 months of mission data:

• The early release, Gaia EDR3, scheduled to take place in the third quarter of 2020. Gaia EDR3 will contain astrometry and (integrated) photometry i.e. positions, parallaxes, proper motions, G-band fluxes as well as integrated red- (RP) and blue-band (BP) fluxes. First results for a predefined list of quasars and extended objects may also be included
• Gaia DR3, which is anticipated to take place during the second half of 2021. Gaia DR3 will supersede Gaia EDR3. The source list and any data published in Gaia EDR3 will not change, but will be copied into Gaia DR3. The additional products will include:
  • radial velocities (significantly more due to fainter magnitude limit),
  • BP/RP/RVS spectra,
  • Solar system data (significantly more sources included),
  • variability information (significantly more objects due to longer time interval),
  • results for non-single stars , and
  • astrophysical parameters based on spectra.

See Gaia Data Release 3 announcement for more information.