Vela

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Abbreviation:  Vel

English Name:  The Sails

Genitive:  Suhail al Muhif

Hemisphere: Southern Hemisphere  (Never visible from the UK.)

Location: Between the constellations of Antlia and Carina.

Visible between latitudes:  +30 and -90 degrees

Best season: Spring

Seen in three seasons: Winter, Spring and Summer

Best seen in:  During the middle of March

Seen between: February to April

Right Ascension (RA): 09 hour

Declination (DEC): -50 degrees

Area (square degrees):  500 (32nd)

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Vela (The Sails)

• It was originally part of a larger constellation, which was later divided into three parts, the others being Carina (The Keel), Puppis (The Stern), and Pyxis (The Compass), once formed part of a huge group of stars in the southern skies known as Argos Navis.
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Messier Objects in Vela

No Messier objects in Vela.

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More objects in Vela

Features of Interest

• NGC 2547 – Open Cluster; 80 stars, detected weak concentration of stars range in brightness, large and bright, pretty sprinkling of bright blue stars – involved in nebulosity. (Likely – Seven Sisters in Taurus.) Visible with binocular or a small telescope.
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• IC 2391 – Open Cluster; also known as Caldwell 85 (C85), very bright containing about 30 stars – visible to the naked-eye and an ideal object for binocular observation.
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• IC 2395 – Open Cluster; fine cluster of around 16 stars, best observed with 3 or 4-inch telescopes, but well seen in binoculars.
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• NGC 2626 – Reflection Nebula – pretty bright & large, unusually but very interesting to see roundish nebulae.
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• NGC 3201 – Globular Cluster; fairly loose and slightly irregular in outline, very small and very bright nucleus. Well resolved with 4-inch telescopes.
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• NGC 3132 – Planetary Nebula; also known as Caldwell 74 (C74) or the Eight Burst Nebula, a very bright and rounded disc visible with a small telescope – may reveal the magnitude +10.0 star at its centre. Sometimes it is considered the southern version of Lyra’s Ring Nebula (M57). (Magnitude: +8.2)
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Named Stars

• Suhail al Muhlif (Gamma 2 Vel)
• Alsuhail (Lambda Vel)
• more list of stars in Vela.

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IAU Sky Chart: Vela

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Constellations: Southern Celestial Hemisphere
– never seen from the UK

Apus	Ara	Caelum	Carina	Centaurus	Chameleon
Corona Australis	Crux	Dorado	Grus	Horologium	Hydrus
Indus	Mensa	Octans	Pavo	Phoenix	Pictor
Reticulum	Telescopium	Triangulum Australe	Tucana	Vela	Volans

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