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Sky Chart and Artist Rendering of Vela
Origin:
Vela was once the sails of the Argo Navis, the oldest and biggest
constellation in the southern sky in ancient times and also the ship that
carried Jason and the Argonauts in
search of the Golden Fleece. The ship was dissected into four
smaller constellations (Carina the Keel, Vela the
Sails, Puppis the Poop Deck, and Pyxis the Compass -- where the mast was originally)
by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the
18th century.
Information:
Vela is a southern constellation that will be found very close to the
southern horizon for observers north of 30° N lat. The sails are
highest off the horizon at 9 pm on April 12 but may remain elusive in
light-polluted skies because of their low latitudes. Being brighter
than the stars in Antlia (the Air Pump), Vela
could be used as a help to find that faint constellation.
The Milky Way cuts through the Sails
making Vela exceptional for open clusters and one globular cluster.
For the photographically enabled observers, the Vela Supernova Remnant
(NGC 2736) is an excellent target during times of very dark skies. |
