What is the story of Vela?
What is the story of Vela?
Vela represents the sails of the Argo Navis, the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcus to get the Golden Fleece. The ship was named after Argus, the shipwright who built it. The stars that were designated Alpha and Beta in the constellation Argo Navis now belong to Carina constellation.
What type of star is Vela?
With an apparent magnitude of 1.8, its brightest star is the hot blue multiple star Gamma Velorum, one component of which is the brightest Wolf-Rayet star in the sky….Vela (constellation)
Constellation | |
---|---|
List of stars in Vela | |
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3 |
Brightest star | γ Vel (1.75) |
Messier objects | 0 |
Where is the constellation Vela?
The constellation of Vela is located south of the ecliptic plane and was once part of the much larger constellation of Argo Navis – now divided into three parts. It is now abbreviated and Vela represents the “sails”. Vela encompasses 500 square degrees of sky, ranking 32nd in constellation size.
When was the Vela constellation discovered?
Mythology of the Vela Constellation Constellation was first spotted and cataloged by Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE but as part of the larger constellation called Argo Navis. Argo Navis was an ancient ship of Jason and the Argonauts.
Whats Vela mean?
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.
What is the story behind the constellation Aquila?
In Greek mythology, Aquila is identified as the eagle that carried Zeus’ thunderbolts and was once dispatched by the god to carry Ganymede, the young Trojan boy Zeus desired, to Olympus to be the cup bearer of the gods. Ganymede is represented by the neighbouring constellation Aquarius.
How far away is the Vela constellation?
approximately 336 light years
Vela contains a number of stars brighter than magnitude 3. The brightest star in the constellation is known as Suhail al Muhlif with a visual magnitude of 1.83. It is a multiple star system composed of at least six stars. It is located approximately 336 light years from Earth.
Who named constellation Aquila?
astronomer Ptolemy
Aquila constellation is located in the northern sky, on the celestial equator. The constellation’s name means “the eagle” in Latin. The constellation represents the eagle of the god Jupiter in Roman mythology. It was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century.
How many stars does the constellation Vela have?
Vela contains seven stars with known planets and has no Messier objects. The brightest star in the constellation is Gamma Velorum, with an apparent magnitude of 1.75. There are three meteor showers associated with the constellation: the Delta Velids, the Gamma Velids, and the Puppid-Velids. Vela contains five named stars.
What makes a constellation a zodiac constellation?
As the Earth rotates, the sun, the moon and planets travel on a set path through the sky known as the ecliptic . The list of 13 constellations they pass through are known as the stars of the zodiac. The zodiac constellations’ names are: Capricorn. Aquarius. Pisces. Aries. Taurus.
Which constellation is a summer constellation?
The summer constellation Lyra is one of the first constellations listed by the ancient astronomer Ptolemy . Vega, part of Lyra, is one of the brightest stars in the sky.
What is constellation in the southern hemisphere?
The Milky Way’s bright centre.