Vela

Vela is a southern Milky Way constellation representing the sails of the Argo. Gamma Velorum (Regor) is one of the nearest Wolf-Rayet stars. The constellation contains the Vela Supernova Remnant, one of the nearest remnants, and the Vela Pulsar.

Location in the Sky

When to Observe

Vela is best observed during March. It is located in the SQ2 quadrant and is primarily visible from the southern hemisphere. The constellation contains 5 main stars forming its asterism, with 31 Bayer/Flamsteed designated stars in total. Its brightest star is Gamma Velorum.

Mythology & History

Vela was originally part of Argo Navis, the ship of the Argonauts. Lacaille divided it in the 1750s: Vela (the sails), Carina (the keel), and Puppis (the stern). None of the three parts has a complete set of Bayer designations starting from Alpha.