Vela (The Sails)

Southern constellation of the sails, the sail rigging of the great ship Argo split by Lacaille.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Lacaille divided Argo Navis in 1752 and gave Vela the ship's sails.
• Gamma Velorum contains the nearest and brightest Wolf-Rayet star, a star shedding its outer layers in a fierce wind.
• A great supernova exploded here about 11,000 years ago, leaving the Vela pulsar spinning in its remnant.

Specifications & Metrics

• BRIGHTEST STAR: γ² Velorum
• HEMISPHERE: Southern
• BEST VIEWED: March