| Issue |
EAS Publications Series
Volume 67-68, 2014
The Milky Way Unravelled by Gaia: GREAT Science from the Gaia Data Releases
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|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 263 - 269 | |
| Section | Grand Challenges from Gaia | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/eas/1567047 | |
| Published online | 17 July 2015 | |
N.A. Walton, F. Figueras, L. Balaguer-Núñez and C. Soubiran (eds)
EAS Publications Series, 67–68 (2014) 263-269
Gaia, Variable Stars and the Distance Scale
1 South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), South Africa
2 Astronomy Department, Astronomy, Cosmology & Gravity Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Some recent observations of Classical Cepheids, RR Lyrae and Mira variables are used to illustrate their continued importance as standard candles. Gaia will provide a calibration of these stars as distance indicators which should lead to a greatly improved understanding of the formation and evolution of our Galaxy as well as a vital calibration of the extra-galactic distance scale. The importance of infrared observations, as well as a deeper understanding of interstellar reddening and photometric systems, will play a part if the Gaia calibration is to be put to good use.
© EAS, EDP Sciences, 2015