Vela (constellation): Difference between revisions
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--[[Special:Contributions/207.190.183.254|207.190.183.254]] ([[User talk:207.190.183.254|talk]]) 15:20, 26 February 2013 (UTC)--[[Special:Contributions/207.190.183.254|207.190.183.254]] ([[User talk:207.190.183.254|talk]]) 15:20, 26 February 2013 (UTC)unjfdvbfelhv{{Infobox Constellation |
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{{Infobox Constellation |
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| name = Vela |
| name = Vela |
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| abbreviation = Vel |
| abbreviation = Vel |
Revision as of 15:20, 26 February 2013
--207.190.183.254 (talk) 15:20, 26 February 2013 (UTC)--207.190.183.254 (talk) 15:20, 26 February 2013 (UTC)unjfdvbfelhv
Constellation | |
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Abbreviation | Vel |
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Genitive | Velorum |
Pronunciation | /ˈviːlə/, genitive /v[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈlɔːrəm/ |
Symbolism | the Sails |
Right ascension | 9 |
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) | 2 |
Brightest star | γ Vel (1.75m) |
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.
Notable features
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
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.
False Cross
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
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 which is believed to have been visible from the Earth around 10,000 years ago. The remnant contains a pulsar which was 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 referenced in the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for 2011 September 5: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110905.html for "HH 47: A Young Star Jet Expands" located in Vela.
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.[1]
References
- 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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)