Vela (constellation)
| Constellation | |
 List of stars in Vela |
|
| Abbreviation | Vel |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Velorum |
| Pronunciation | /ˈviːlə/, genitive /vɨˈlɔərəm/ |
| Symbolism | the Sails |
| Right ascension | 9 h |
| Declination | −50° |
| 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 | WISE 1049-5319 (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°. |
|
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.
Contents |
Notable features[edit]
Argo was sub-divided in 1752 by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, forming Vela. Despite the division, Lacaille kept Argo's Bayer designations. Therefore Carina has the α, β and ε, Vela has γ and δ, Puppis has ζ, and so on.
Stars[edit]
The brightest star in the constellation, γ Velorum, is a bright 1.75m supergiant star. The star is actually quintuple, and the primary component is famous for being the brightest Wolf–Rayet star in the sky. γ Velorum is also sometimes called Regor.
κ Velorum is also called Markeb.
Brown dwarfs[edit]
The discovery of a binary brown dwarf system named WISE 1049-5319 only 6.6 light years away, the third closest system to Sol, was announced on 11 March 2013.
False Cross[edit]
The False Cross is an asterism formed of the stars δ Velorum and κ Velorum and ι Carinae and ε Carinae. It is so called because it is sometimes mistaken for the Southern Cross, causing errors in astronavigation.
Deep-sky objects[edit]
Of the deep-sky objects of interest in Vela is a planetary nebula known as the NGC 3132 (nicknamed Eight-burst Nebula). This constellation has 32 more planetary nebulae.
Also of interest is the Vela Supernova Remnant. This is the nebula of a supernova explosion that is believed to have been visible from Earth around 10,000 years ago. The remnant contains the Vela Pulsar, the first pulsar to be identified optically.
The Gum Nebula is a faint emission nebula, believed to be the remains of a million-year-old supernova.
Vela is called out in NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for 5 September 2011.[1]
NGC 2670 is an open cluster located in Vela. It has an overall magnitude of 7.8 and is 3200 light-years from Earth. The stars of NGC 2670, a Trumpler class II 2 p and Shapley class d cluster, are in a conformation suggesting a bow and arrow. Its class indicates that it is a poor, loose cluster, though detached from the star field. It is somewhat concentrated at its center, and its less than 50 stars range moderately in brightness.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110905.html "HH 47: A Young Star Jet Expands"
- ^ Levy 2005, p. 87.
- Levy, David H. (2005), Deep Sky Objects, Prometheus Books, ISBN 1-59102-361-0
- Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0-00-725120-9. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4.
- Richard Hinckley Allen, Star Names, Their Lore and Legend, New York, Dover, various dates.
External links[edit]
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