Vela is a southern constellation, one that I, as a stargazer, have never seen in the night sky in its entirety due to its low latitude as it peaks during the early April evening hours, often obscured by trees, buildings and city lights. Originally, with Puppis (the Deck) and Carina (the Keel) the three constituted the mega-constellation Argos, representing the ship from Greek mythology carrying Jason in his pursuit of the Golden Fleece. The star designations are still the same although the constellation was split up...hence no Alphas or Betas with Vela, the brightest star being second-magnitude Gamma on its west end. The rest of "Argo" is on Vela's west and south sides (right and down on the above star map). If you look at the bottom of the map I drew, you'll see a figure of a cross with broken lines...that's the famous "False Cross" that observers sometimes mistake for the Southern Cross (aka the constellation Crux) which lies further eastward...those two most southerly stars in the False Cross are actually a part of Carina. Some time I'd like to get myself south of the equator in a place unobstructed by city lights and relatively clear much of the year and just stand there taking in all the southern constellations I cannot see from my latitude here at 30 degrees North...the ancient constellation Argo, with its components Vela, Puppis and Carina, would be one of my top priorities...
Next month: another constellation...
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