Gaia Data Release 1

Catalogue validation

¹ GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92190 Meudon, France
e-mail: Frederic.Arenou@obspm.fr
² Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona (IEEC-UB), Martí Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
³ Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Landleven 12, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands
⁴ Institut UTINAM, CNRS, OSU THETA Franche-Comté Bourgogne, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 25000 Besançon, France
⁵ INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo Osservatorio, 35131 Padova, Italy
⁶ Observatoire de Genève, Université de Genève, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁷ Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB30 HA, UK
⁸ SYRTE, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, LNE, 61 Avenue de l’Observatoire, 75014 Paris, France
⁹ CENTRA, Universidade de Lisboa, FCUL, Campo Grande, Edif. C8, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
¹⁰ Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
¹¹ Laboratoire Lagrange, Univ. Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CS 34229, 06304 Nice Cedex, France
¹² INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone (Roma), Italy
¹³ ASI Science Data Center, via del Politecnico, Roma, Italy
¹⁴ Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, Univ. de Bordeaux, CNRS, B18N, Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615 Pessac, France
¹⁵ INAF–Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo Enrico Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
¹⁶ INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy

Received: 14 October 2016
Accepted: 8 January 2017

Abstract

Context. Before the publication of the Gaia Catalogue, the contents of the first data release have undergone multiple dedicated validation tests.

Aims. These tests aim to provide in-depth analysis of the Catalogue content in order to detect anomalies and individual problems in specific objects or in overall statistical properties, and either to filter them before the public release or to describe the different caveats on the release for an optimal exploitation of the data.

Methods. Dedicated methods using either Gaia internal data, external catalogues, or models have been developed for the validation processes. They test normal stars as well as various populations such as open or globular clusters, double stars, variable stars, and quasars. Properties of coverage, accuracy, and precision of the data are provided by the numerous tests presented here and are jointly analysed to assess the data release content.

Results. This independent validation confirms the quality of the published data, Gaia DR1 being the most precise all-sky astrometric and photometric catalogue to date. However, several limitations in terms of completeness, and astrometric or photometric quality are identified and described. Figures describing the relevant properties of the release are shown, and the testing activities carried out validating the user interfaces are also described. A particular emphasis is made on the statistical use of the data in scientific exploitation.