The Vela (constellation) reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Vela (constellation)

Vela
Vela constellation
Abbreviation	Vel
Genitive	Velorum
Meaning in English	the Sails (of the Argo Navis)
Right ascension	9 h
Declination	−50°
Visible to latitude	Between 30° and −90°
Best visible	March
Area  - Total	Ranked 32th 500 sq. deg.
Number of stars with apparent magnitude < 3	5
Brightest star  - Apparent magnitude	1.6 Variable star>(var.)
Meteor showers	Delta Velids Gamma Velids Puppid-velids
Bordering constellations	Antlia Pyxis Puppis Carina Centaurus

Vela (the sails) is a southern constellation, one of the three parts into which Argo Navis was split.

It contains the stars Delta Velorum and Kappa Velorum which together with Iota Carinae and Epsilon Carinae form the asterism known as the "false cross", which is sometimes mistaken for the Southern Cross.

Also of interest within the constellation is the Vela Supernova Remnant. This is the nebula of a supernova explosion which is believed to have been visible from the Earth around 10000 years ago. The remant contains a pulsar which was the first pulsar to be identified optically apart from that in the Crab Nebula.

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