Vela (constellation)
| Constellation | |
|
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| Abbreviation | Vel |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Velorum |
| Pronunciation |
/ˈviːlə/, genitive /vᵻˈloʊrəm/ |
| Symbolism | the Sails |
| Right ascension | 9 |
| Declination | −50 |
| Family | Heavenly Waters |
| Quadrant | SQ2 |
| Area | 500 sq. deg. (32nd) |
| Main stars | 5 |
|
Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
50 |
| Stars with planets | 7 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 5 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3 |
| Brightest star | γ Vel (1.75m) |
| Nearest star |
Luhman 16 (6.6 ly, 2.0 pc) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Meteor showers |
Delta Velids Gamma Velids Puppid-velids |
| Bordering constellations |
Antlia Pyxis Puppis Carina Centaurus |
|
Visible at latitudes between +30° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of March. |
|
Vela is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the sails of a ship, and it was originally part of a larger constellation, the ship Argo Navis, which was later divided into three parts, the others being Carina and Puppis. With an apparent magnitude of 1.8, its brightest star is the hot blue multiple star Gamma Velorum, one component of which is the brightest Wolf-Rayet star in the sky. Delta and Kappa Velorum, together with Epsilon and Iota Carinae, form the asterism known as the False Cross. 1.95-magnitude Delta is actually a triple or quintuple star system.
Argo Navis was one of the 48 classical constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and represented the ship Argo, used by Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece in Greek mythology. German cartographer Johann Bayer depicted the constellation on his Uranometria of 1603, and gave the stars Bayer designations from Alpha to Omega. However, his chart was inaccurate as the constellation was not visible from the Northern Hemisphere.
Argo was more accurately charted and subdivided in 1752 by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, forming Carina, Vela, and Puppis. Despite the division, Lacaille kept Argo's Bayer designations. Therefore, Carina has the Alpha, Beta and Epsilon, Vela has Gamma and Delta, Puppis has Zeta, and so on.
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