Gaia DR2 Catalogue Research Articles

Kinematic Properties of Open Star Clusters with Data from the Gaia DR2 Catalogue

We consider open star clusters (OSCs) with the proper motions, parallaxes, and line-of-sight velocities calculated by various authors from Gaia DR2 data. The distance scale factor has been found by analyzing the separate solutions of the basic kinematic equations to be $p=1.00\pm0.04.$ It shows that the distances calculated using the parallaxes from the Gaia DR2 catalogue do not need any correction factor. We have investigated the solutions obtained from various OSC samples differing in both age and accuracy of their parallax and line-of-sight velocity measurements. The solution obtained from a sample of 930 OSCs satisfying the constraints on the age logt<9 and the relative trigonometric parallax error <30% is recognized to be the best one, with 384 OSCs in this sample having the mean line-of-sight velocities calculated from at least three probable members of the corresponding clusters. As a result of the simultaneous solution of all the basic kinematic equations, we have found the following kinematic parameters from this sample: $(U,V,W)_\odot=(8.53,11.22,7.83)\pm(0.38,0.46,0.32)$ km s$^{-1}$, $\Omega_0=28.71\pm0.22$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$, $\Omega'_0=-4.100\pm0.058$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-2}$, and $\Omega''_0= 0.736\pm0.033$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-3}$. The linear rotation velocity at the adopted at the adopted solar distance $R_0=8\pm0.15$ kpc is $V_0=229.7\pm4.6$ km s$^{-1}$. An analysis of the proper motions for these 930 OSCs has shown that, apart from the rotation around the Galactic z axis, there is rotation of the entire sample around the x axis with an angular velocity of $0.48\pm0.15$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$ differing significantly from zero.

DBSCAN Clustering Algorithm for the Detection of Nearby Open Clusters Based on Gaia-DR2two

In this paper, we attempt to use the DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) clustering algorithm to detect nearby open clusters based on the Gaia Data Release 2 (Gaia-DR2). We select 594284 stars (within a distance of 100 pc to the Sun) from the Gaia-DR2 catalog, and construct a five-dimensional phase space (three-dimensional spatial position and two-dimensional proper motion) in order to obtain reliable cluster members. At the data preprocessing stage, we normalize each dimension of data to the [0, 1] interval in order to avoid the effect of inconsistent units. Then, we use the k-dist graphs to determine the input parameters of the DBSCAN Algorithm. Finally, we obtain 133 reliable members using the DBSCAN algorithm, which correspond to two open clusters—Hyades and Coma. According to these cluster members, the distances to the Hyades and Coma clusters are determined to be (6.5±0.3) pc and (4.9±0.4) pc, respectively.

A high binary fraction for the most massive close-in giant planets and brown dwarf desert members

ABSTRACT Stellar multiplicity is believed to influence planetary formation and evolution, although the precise nature and extent of this role remain ambiguous. We present a study aimed at testing the role of stellar multiplicity in the formation and/or evolution of the most massive, close-in planetary and substellar companions. Using past and new direct imaging observations, as well as the Gaia DR2 catalogue, we searched for wide binary companions to 38 stars hosting massive giant planets or brown dwarfs (M &amp;gt; 7 MJup) on orbits shorter than ∼1 au. We report the discovery of a new component in the WASP-14 system, and present an independent confirmation of a comoving companion to WASP-18. From a robust Bayesian statistical analysis, we derived a binary fraction of $79.0^{+13.2}_{-14.7}$ per cent between 20 and 10 000 au for our sample, twice as high as for field stars with a 3σ significance. This binary frequency was found to be larger than for lower-mass planets on similar orbits, and we observed a marginally higher binary rate for inner companions with periods shorter than 10 d. These results demonstrate that stellar companions greatly influence the formation and/or evolution of these systems, suggesting that the role played by binary companions becomes more important for higher-mass planets, and that this trend may be enhanced for systems with tighter orbits. Our analysis also revealed a peak in binary separation at 250 au, highlighting a shortfall of close binaries among our sample. This indicates that the mechanisms affecting planet and brown dwarf formation or evolution in binaries must operate from wide separations, although we found that the Kozai–Lidov mechanism is unlikely to be the dominant underlying process. We conclude that binarity plays a crucial role in the existence of very massive short-period giant planets and brown dwarf desert inhabitants, which are almost exclusively observed in multiple systems.

Kinematics of the Galaxy from a Sample of Young Open Star Clusters with Data from the Gaia DR2 Catalogue

We have selected a sample of 326 young $(\log t<8)$ open star clusters with the proper motions and distances calculated by various authors from Gaia DR2 data. The mean values of their line-of-sight velocities have also been taken from various publications. As a result of our kinematic analysis, we have found the following parameters of the angular velocity of Galactic rotation: $\Omega_0=29.34\pm0.31$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$, $\Omega'_0=-4.012\pm0.074$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-2}$, and $\Omega''_0=0.779\pm0.062$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-3}$. The circular rotation velocity of the solar neighborhood around the Galactic center is $V_0=235\pm5$ km s$^{-1}$ for the adopted Galactocentric distance of the Sun $R_0=8.0\pm0.15$ kpc. The amplitudes of the tangential and radial velocity perturbations produced by the spiral density wave are $f_\theta=3.8\pm1.2$ km s$^{-1}$ and $f_R=4.7\pm1.0$ km s$^{-1}$, respectively; the perturbation wavelengths are $\lambda_\theta=2.3\pm0.5$ kpc and $\lambda_R=2.2\pm0.5$ kpc for the adopted four-armed spiral pattern. The Sun's phase in the spiral density wave is close to $-120\pm10^\circ.$

A Near-coplanar Stellar Flyby of the Planet Host Star HD 106906

Abstract We present an investigation into the kinematics of HD 106906 using the newly released Gaia DR2 catalog to search for close encounters with other members of the Scorpius–Centaurus (Sco–Cen) association. HD 106906 is an eccentric spectroscopic binary that hosts both a large asymmetric debris disk extending out to at least 500 au and a directly imaged planetary-mass companion at a projected separation of 738 au. The cause of the asymmetry in the debris disk and the unusually wide separation of the planet is not currently known. Using a combination of Gaia DR2 astrometry and ground-based radial velocities, we explore the hypothesis that a close encounter with another cluster member within the last 15 Myr is responsible for the present configuration of the system. Out of 461 stars analyzed, we identified two candidate perturbers that had a median closest approach distance within 1 pc of HD 106906: HIP 59716 at pc ( Myr) and HIP 59721 at pc ( Myr), with the two stars likely forming a wide physical binary. The trajectories of both stars relative to HD 106906 are almost coplanar with the inner disk (Δθ = 5.°4 ± 1.7 and ). These two stars are the best candidates of the currently known members of Sco–Cen for having a dynamically important close encounter with HD 106906, which may have stabilized the orbit of HD 106906 b in the scenario where the planet formed in the inner system and attained high eccentricity by interaction with the central binary.

The Streams of the Gaping Abyss: A Population of Entangled Stellar Streams Surrounding the Inner Galaxy

Abstract We present the discovery of a large population of stellar streams that surround the inner Galaxy, found in the Gaia DR2 catalog using the new STREAMFINDER algorithm. Here we focus on the properties of eight new high-significance structures found at heliocentric distances between 1 and 10 kpc and at Galactic latitudes , named Slidr, Sylgr, Ylgr, Fimbulthul, Svöl, Fjörm, Gjöll, and Leiptr. Spectroscopic measurements of seven of the streams confirm the detections, which are based on Gaia astrometry and photometry alone, and show that these streams are predominantly metal-poor. The sample possesses diverse orbital properties, although most of the streams appear to be debris of inner-halo globular clusters. Many more candidate streams are visible in our maps but require follow-up spectroscopy to confirm their nature. We also explain in detail the workings of the algorithm and gauge the incidence of false detections by running the algorithm on a smooth model of the Gaia catalog.

A Catalog of Wide Binary and Multiple Systems of Bright Stars from Gaia-DR2 and the Virtual Observatory

Abstract Binary and multiple stars have long provided an effective empirical method of testing stellar formation and evolution theories. In particular, the existence of wide binary systems (separations &gt;20,000 au) is particularly challenging to binary formation models as their physical separations are beyond the typical size of a collapsing cloud core (∼5000–10,000 au). We mined the recently published Gaia-DR2 catalog to identify bright comoving systems in the five-dimensional space (sky position, parallax, and proper motion). We identified 3741 comoving binary and multiple stellar candidate systems, out of which 575 have compatible radial velocities for all the members of the system. The candidate systems have separations between ∼400 and 500,000 au. We used the analysis tools of the Virtual Observatory to characterize the comoving system members and to assess their reliability. The comparison with previous comoving systems catalogs obtained from TGAS showed that these catalogs contain a large number of false systems. In addition, we were not able to confirm the ultra-wide binary population presented in these catalogs. The robustness of our methodology is demonstrated by the identification of well known comoving star clusters and by the low contamination rate for comoving binary systems with projected physical separations &lt;50,000 au. These last constitute a reliable sample for further studies. The catalog is available online at the Spanish Virtual Observatory portal (http://svo2.cab.inta-csic.es/vocats/v2/comovingGaiaDR2/).

Evidence of Hubble Flow-like Motion of Young Stellar Populations away from the Perseus Arm

Abstract In this Letter we present evidence of the coherent outward motion of a sample of young stars (t &lt; 30 Myr) in the Perseus Arm, whose apparent origin is located in the vicinity of the W3/W4/W5 complex. Using astrometric and photometric data from the Gaia Data Release 2 catalog of an 8◦ radius field centered near W4, we selected a sample of young intermediate- to high-mass star candidates. The sample is limited to sources with parallax uncertainties below 20% and Bayesian distance estimates within 1800 and 3100 pc. The selection includes embedded stellar populations as well as young open clusters. Projected velocities derived from perspective-corrected proper motions clearly suggest that the young star population emerged from the Perseus Arm, with a possible convergence zone near W3/W4/W5 region, tracing a front that expands away at a rate of about .

Spectral Classification and Estimation of Distances to the Be/X-Ray Binaries 1H1936+541 and 1H2202+501

The results of the spectral and photometric studies of two Be/X-ray binaries, 1H1936+541 and 1H2202+501, are presented. The spectral class of the optical component of the 1H1936+541 system was determined for the first time, and the spectral class of the optical component of the 1H2202+501 system was refined. According to the results, the optical components of the systems 1H1936+541 and 1H2202+501 are Be stars of the spectral types B1Ve and B3Ve, respectively. These findings, as well as the well-known spectral type distribution of Be stars, can testify to the fact that the object 1H1936+541 belongs to X-ray binary systems. At the same time, taking into account the fact that a very small number of Be/X-ray binaries of the spectral type B3 is known so far, the object 1H2202+501 cannot unambiguously be classified as a Be/X-ray binary. The rotational speeds of the main components of these systems are 246 ± 11 km/s for 1H1936+541 and 111 ± 8 km/s for1H2202+501; the range of the tilt angles of their rotation axes is within 49°–82° and 21°–28°, respectively. Additionally, using the B and V band photometric observations and spectral classes obtained, the interstellar extinction values E(В – V), as well as the distances to the objects, were estimated. In particular, for 1H2202+501, the value of E(В – V) is 0.36 ± 0.03m, and the distance r ranges from 0.8 to 1.6 kpc. For the 1H1936+541 system, the following values were obtained: E(В – V) = 0.23 ± 0.03m and r = 2.1–3.6 kpc. The comparison of the distances to the objects with the data from the GAIA DR2 catalog ( http://gea.esac.esa.int/archive/ ) revealed the coincidence of the corresponding values within the limits of errors.

Parameters of the Link between the Optical and Radio Frames from Gaia DR2 Data and VLBI Measurements

Based on published data, we have assembled a sample of 88 radio stars for which there are both trigonometric parallax and proper motion measurements in the Gaia DR2 catalogue and VLBI measurements. A new estimate of the systematic offset between the optical and radio frames has been obtained by analyzing the GaiaDR2-VLBI trigonometric parallax differences: $\Delta\pi=-0.038\pm0.046$ mas (with a dispersion of 0.156 mas). This means that the Gaia DR2 parallaxes should be increased by this correction. The parallax scale factor is shown to be always very close to unity within $\sim$3 kpc of the Sun: $b=1.002\pm0.007.$ Our analysis of the proper motion differences for the radio stars based on the model of solid-body mutual rotation has revealed no rotation components differing significantly from zero: $(\omega_x,\omega_y,\omega_z)=(-0.14,0.03,-0.33)\pm(0.15,0.22,0.16)$ mas yr$^{-1}.$

A ring in a shell: the large-scale 6D structure of the Vela OB2 complex

Context. The Vela OB2 association is a group of ∼10 Myr stars exhibiting a complex spatial and kinematic substructure. The all-sky Gaia DR2 catalogue contains proper motions, parallaxes (a proxy for distance), and photometry that allow us to separate the various components of Vela OB2. Aims. We characterise the distribution of the Vela OB2 stars on a large spatial scale, and study its internal kinematics and dynamic history. Methods. We make use of Gaia DR2 astrometry and published Gaia-ESO Survey data. We apply an unsupervised classification algorithm to determine groups of stars with common proper motions and parallaxes. Results. We find that the association is made up of a number of small groups, with a total current mass over 2330 M⊙. The three-dimensional distribution of these young stars trace the edge of the gas and dust structure known as the IRAS Vela Shell across ∼180 pc and shows clear signs of expansion. Conclusions. We propose a common history for Vela OB2 and the IRAS Vela Shell. The event that caused the expansion of the shell happened before the Vela OB2 stars formed, imprinted the expansion in the gas the stars formed from, and most likely triggered star formation.

Leaves on trees: identifying halo stars with extreme gradient boosted trees

Context. Extended stellar haloes are a natural by-product of the hierarchical formation of massive galaxies like the Milky Way. If merging is a non-negligible factor in the growth of our Galaxy, evidence of such events should be encoded in its stellar halo. The reliable identification of genuine halo stars is a challenging task, however. Aims. With the advent of the Gaia space telescope, we are ushered into a new era of Galactic astronomy. The first Gaia data release contains the positions, parallaxes, and proper motions for over two million stars, mostly in the solar neighbourhood. The second Gaia data release will enlarge this sample to over 1.5 billion stars, the brightest ~ 5 million of which will have full phase-space information. Our aim for this paper is to develop a machine learning model for reliably identifying halo stars, even when their full phase-space information is not available. Methods. We use the Gradient Boosted Trees algorithm to build a supervised halo star classifier. The classifier is trained on a sample of stars extracted from the Gaia Universe Model Snapshot, which is also convolved with the errors of the public TGAS data, which is a subset of Gaia DR1, as well as with the expected uncertainties for the upcoming Gaia DR2 catalogue. We also trained our classifier on a dataset resulting from the cross-match between the TGAS and RAVE catalogues, where the halo stars are labelled in an entirely model-independent way. We then use this model to identify halo stars in TGAS. Results. When full phase-space information is available and for Gaia DR2-like uncertainties, our classifier is able to recover 90% of the halo stars with at most 30% distance errors, in a completely unseen test set and with negligible levels of contamination. When line-of-sight velocity is not available, we recover ~ 60% of such halo stars, with less than 10% contamination. When applied to the TGAS catalogue, our classifier detects 337 high confidence red giant branch halo stars. At first glance this number may seem small, however, it is consistent with the expectation from the models, given the uncertainties in the data. The large parallax errors are in fact the biggest limitation in our ability to identify a large number of halo stars in all the cases studied.

Annual parallax measurements of a semi-regular variable star SV Pegasus with VERA

Abstract Many studies have shown that there are clear sequences in the period–luminosity relationship (PLR) for Mira variables and semi-regular variables (SRVs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). To investigate the PLR for SRVs in our galaxy, we examined the annual parallax measurement and conducted K΄-band photometric monitoring of an SRV star SV Pegasus (SV Peg). We measured the position change of the associated H2O maser spots by phase-referencing Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations with VERA at 22 GHz, spanning approximately 3 yr, and detected an annual parallax of π = 3.00 ± 0.06 mas, corresponding to a distance of D = 333 ± 7 pc. This result is in good agreement with the Hipparcos parallax and improves the accuracy of the distance from 35% to 2%. However, the Gaia DR2 catalog gave a parallax of π = 1.12 ± 0.28 mas for SV Peg. This indicates that the Gaia result might be blurred by the effect of the stellar size because the estimated stellar radius was ∼5 mas, which is comparable to the parallax. We obtained a K΄-band mean magnitude of $m_{K^{\prime }} = -0.48\:$mag and a period of P = 177 d from our photometric monitoring with a 1 m telescope. Using the trigonometric distance, we derived an absolute magnitude of $M_{K^{\prime }}=-8.09 \pm 0.05\:$mag. This result shows that the position of SV Peg in the PLR falls on the C’ sequence found in the PLR in the LMC, which is similar to other SRVs in our galaxy.

Measuring the Yarkovsky effect with Las Cumbres Observatory

The Las Cumbres Observatory (LCOGT) provides an ideal platform for follow-up and characterization of Solar System objects (e.g. asteroids, Kuiper belt objects (KBOs), comets, and near-Earth objects (NEOs)) as well as for the discovery of new objects. The LCOGT network allows for regular monitoring of a sample of targets, such as that of NEOs for which we can attempt to measure the Yarkovsky effect. We have used LCOGT’s global network of nine 1.0-m telescopes to measure the Yarkovsky effect on 36 asteroids through precise astrometric measurements using the Gaia-DR1 catalog; 18 (50%) of the 36 asteroids yielded > 3σ Yarkovsky detections. The target asteroids were selected through simulated observations each month to determine the objects for which new astrometry would yield the highest likelihood of a Yarkovsky detection. The Gaia-DR1 release has greatly improved the quality of the astrometry obtained, making the detection of the Yarkovsky effect more likely and secure by greatly reducing systematic catalog zonal errors. LCOGT is ideally suited to perform these observations due to its ability to monitor many targets over several days by employing dynamic scheduling, weather avoidance, and use of multiple sites around the globe.

Determining the accuracy of VLBI radio source catalogs

Aims. We propose to estimate the accuracy of current very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) catalogs. Methods. The difference of source position estimated from two decimation solutions was analyzed to estimate the scale factor and noise floor for the formal error of radio source positions by two different methods. In one method, we investigated the weighted root-square-mean (wrms) scatter of source positional differences versus the number of observed sessions; for the other one, we compared the wrms difference versus the formal error. Based on the estimated noise floor and scale factor, we determined the realistic error of radio source positions in the standard solution and compared it with that of Gaia DR2 and ICRF2 catalogs. Results. The estimated scale factors from two methods are rather consistent, which is of ∼1.3 in both coordinates. As for the noise floor, it is estimated to be 20–25 μas for sources observed in at least ten sessions, and it could reduce down to ∼10 μas for sources which have been observed more than 1000 times. The inflated median formal error of our solution is of the same order as the Gaia DR2 catalog in declination and the direction of major axis of the error ellipse, but smaller by a factor of two in right ascension. With respect to the ICRF2 catalog, our solution yields an improved accuracy by a factor of about three. Conclusions. Currently, the VLBI radio source catalog still provides source positions with the best accuracy which is about 20–25 μas. Moreover, the noise floor of VLBI catalogs could potentially reach 10 μas with more observations in the future.

Faint, high proper motion star candidates selected from the SDSS and PS1 catalogues

High proper motion stars probe several extreme stellar populations, including nearby objects, Galactic halo stars, and hyper-velocity stars. Extending the search for high proper motion stars, to faint limits can increase their numbers and help to identify interesting targets. We conduct a search for faint (r>19.5 mag) high proper motion stars (>~200 mas/yr) by comparing the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) - Data Release (DR) 10 catalog to the Pan-STARRS1-DR1 stacked image catalog. Our main selection criterion is stars that moved >1.5 arcsec and up to 7 arcsec between the SDSS and PS1 epochs. We identify 2923 high proper motion stars, of which 826 do not have proper motion in the GAIA-DR2 catalog and 565 are not listed in the GAIA-DR2 catalog. Our SDSS-PS1 proper motions are consistent with the GAIA-measured proper motions with a robust rms of about 10 mas/yr.

Search for extra-tidal RR Lyrae stars in Milky Way globular clusters fromGaiaDR2

We used extra-tidal RR Lyrae stars to study the dynamics of Galactic globular clusters and know how effects like dynamical friction and tidal disruption affect these clusters. The Gaia DR2 catalog for RR Lyrae stars (Clementini et al. 2018) is used along with the proper motions and tidal radii data for the globular clusters compiled from literature. A sample of 56 Galactic globular clusters is analyzed. Out of these 56 Galactic globular clusters, only 11 have extra-tidal RR Lyrae stars. However, only two clusters, namely, NGC 3201 and NGC 5024, have enough extra-tidal RR Lyrae stars to draw interesting conclusions. NGC 3201 has 13 extra-tidal RR Lyrae stars which are asymmetrically distributed around its center with more number of stars in its trailing zone than its leading part. We conclude that these asymmetrical tidal tails are due to the combined effect of tidal disruption and the stripped debris from the cluster. On the other hand, NGC 5024 has 5 extra-tidal RR Lyrae stars, four of them are concentrated in a region which is at a distance of about 3 times the tidal radius from its center. These may be the stars that are being ripped apart from the cluster due to tidal disruption. The presence of these extra-tidal RR Lyrae stars in the clusters can be an indication that more cluster stars are present outside their tidal radii which may be revealed by deep wide field CMDs of the clusters.

Kinematics and Dynamics of the Galactic Halo from RR Lyrae Variable Stars

Based on a sample of RR Lyrae variable stars including more than 9000 objects with proper motions and distances, we have investigated the kinematics of the Galactic halo from the two-dimensional velocity field. We have used both the proper motions deduced independently by us from the positional data taken from all-sky catalogues in a time interval up to 65 years and the proper motions taken from the Gaia DR2 catalogue. In addition, we have also studied the halo kinematics from the three-dimensional velocity field of ~850 RR Lyrae variables with distances, proper motions, and line-of-sight velocities. The kinematic parameters describing the velocity field have been estimated by the maximum-likelihood method; their change with Galactocentric distance has been investigated. The radial velocity dispersion in spherical coordinates σr ≈ 160−170 km s−1 exceeds its values from previous papers approximately by 20 km s−1, while the anisotropy parameter β ≈ 0.68−0.72 agrees satisfactorily with previous studies. When estimating the rotation velocity of the population of RR Lyrae stars, we identified the inner and outer halos with weak prograde and retrograde rotations, respectively.

Riding the kinematic waves in the Milky Way disk with Gaia

Context. Gaia DR2 has delivered full-sky six-dimensional measurements for millions of stars, and the quest to understand the dynamics of our Galaxy has entered a new phase. Aims. Our aim is to reveal and characterise the kinematic substructure of the different Galactic neighbourhoods, to form a picture of their spatial evolution that can be used to infer the Galactic potential, its evolution, and its components. Methods. We take approximately 5 million stars in the Galactic disk from the Gaia DR2 catalogue and build the velocity distribution in different Galactic neighbourhoods distributed along 5 kpc in Galactic radius and azimuth. We decompose their distribution of stars in the VR–Vϕ plane with the wavelet transformation and asses the statistical significance of the structures found. Results. We detect distinct kinematic substructures (arches and more rounded groups) that diminish their azimuthal velocity as a function of Galactic radius in a continuous way, connecting volumes up to 3 kpc apart in some cases. The average rate of decrease is ∼23 km s−1 kpc−1. In azimuth, the variations are much smaller. We also observe different behaviours: some approximately conserve their vertical angular momentum with radius (e.g. Hercules), while others seem to have nearly constant kinetic energy (e.g. Sirius). These two trends are consistent with the approximate predictions of resonances and phase mixing, respectively. Besides, the overall spatial evolution of Hercules is consistent with being related to the outer Lindblad resonance of the Galactic bar. In addition, we detect new kinematic structures that only appear at either inner or outer Galactic radius, different from the solar neighbourhood. Conclusions. The strong and distinct variation observed for each kinematic substructure with position in the Galaxy, along with the characterisation of extrasolar moving groups, will allow to better model the dynamical processes affecting the velocity distributions.

Refining the origins of the gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6–5856

Context. Gamma-ray binaries are systems composed of a massive star and a compact object that exhibit emission from radio to very high energy gamma rays. They are ideal laboratories to study particle acceleration and a variety of physical processes that vary as a function of the orbital phase. Aims. We aim to study the radio emission of the gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6–5856 to constrain the emitting region and determine the peculiar motion of the system within the Galaxy to clarify its origin. Methods. We analyzed an observation of 1FGL J1018.6–5856 with the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) at 8.4 GHz to obtain an accurate astrometry of the system and study its emission on milliarcsecond scales. We combined these data with the optical Gaia DR2 and UCAC4 catalogs to consolidate the astrometry information therein. Results. The gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6–5856 shows compact radio emission (&lt; 3 mas or ≲20 au at ∼6.4 kpc distance), implying a brightness temperature of ≳5.6 × 106 K, and confirming its nonthermal origin. We report consistent results between the proper motion reported by Gaia DR2 and the positions obtained from the Gaia DR2, UCAC4, and LBA data (spanning 20 yr in total). We also determined the distance to 1FGL J1018.6–5856 to be 6.4−0.7+1.7. Together with the radial velocity of the source we computed its three-dimensional (3D) proper and peculiar motion within the Galaxy. We obtained a peculiar motion of 1FGL J1018.6–5856 on its regional standard of rest (RSR) frame of |u| = 45−9+30, with the system moving away from the Galactic plane. In the simplest scenario of a symmetric stellar core collapse we estimate a mass loss of 4 ≲ ΔM ≲ 9 M⊙ during the creation of the compact object. Conclusions. 1FGL J1018.6–5856 exhibits compact radio emission similar to that detected in other gamma-ray binaries. We provide the first accurate peculiar motion estimations of the system and place it within the Galaxy. The obtained motion and distance excludes the physical relation of the binary source with the supernova remnant (SNR) G284.3−1.8.