Vela

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann

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Vel star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

One of the 88 IAU constellations. Vela is part of the constellation Argo, The Ship, official abbreviation [Arg] defined in 1922. Yet, the ancient constellation Argo did not have sails; the stars of Vela which are mentioned in Ptolemy's star catalogue, form part of the ship's body.

Etymology and History

Origin of Constellation

The constellation Vela was invented in Early Modern time. The ancient constellation Argo, The Ship, was not depicted with sails but only with an empty mast; the rudder (Canopus) was more prominent. Some stars of Vela were mentioned in the ancient star catalogue, though.

Stars of Vela mentioned in the Almagest

animated GIF of the transformation of the constellation Argo over the course of the centuries from ancient Greek to modern depictions (map: Stellarium)

Some (not all!) of the stars of Vela also formed part of the ancient Greek constellation Argo, The Ship.

No.	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English translation (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Ἀργοῦς ἀστερισμός.	Argo (Almagest)
23	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The middle one	d Vel HR 3477
24	ὁ γότιος τῶν τριῶν.	The southernmost of the three	e Vel HR 3426
25	τῶν ὑπὸ τούτους β συνεχῶν ὁ βορειότερος.	The northernmost of the 2 stars close together under these	*a Vel HR 3487
26	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of them	*b Vel HR 3445
31	ὁ ὑποκάτω τῆς ν’ καὶ ἐπομένης ἀσπιδίσκης	The star below the 3rd and rearmost little shield	lam Vel
32	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀποτομῆς τοῦ καταστρώματος.	The star on the cut-off of the deck	psi Vel
35	ὁ τούτῳ ἐπόμενος ὑπὸ τὸ κατάστρωμα λαμπρός	The bright star to the rear of this, under the deck	gam Vel
37	τῶν ἐπομένων τούτῳ ἢ ὁ προηγούμενος	The most advanced of the 3 stars to the rear of this	omi Vel
38	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν.	The middle one	del Vel
39	ὁ ἐπόμενος τῶν τριῶν.	The rearmost of the three	HR 3498
40	τῶν τούτοις ἐπομένων β ὁ πρὸς τῇ ἀποτομῇ ὁ προηγούμενος.	The more advanced of the 2 stars to the rear of these, near the cut-off	kap Vel
41	ὁ ἐπόμευος αὐτῶν .	The rearmost of them	N Vel HR 3803

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)