AAQ Visual Observing Section

Selected Deep Sky Objects In Vela

For an easy start to the year try out Vela, with many bright stars including the northern stars of the “False Cross”. It is easy to star hop in Vela from one highlight to the next. There are many more fine objects in Vela than we have listed, so take the time to find and enjoy them. The comments below are based on observations made with a 150mm f8 refractor, unless indicated otherwise.

My reports of the “faint fuzzies” have been hampered by bright moonlight and poor seeing – so hopefully with better conditions you should be able to see more than I was able. Because of the poor seeing conditions my colour descriptions of some stars would be subjective at best, so don’t be surprised if you see them completely differently! Thanks to Tim Napier-Munn for his assistance with the double star observations.

IC 2391 (RA. 08h 40.2m Dec. -53° 04
) Sometimes known as the Omicron Velorum Cluster, this is
an excellent object for binoculars with approximately 30 stars in the cluster. Look for a “V” shaped group of the brighter stars, with the attractive pair Omicron near the apex.

NGC 2547 (RA. 08h 10.7m Dec. -49° 16
) You should be able to easily locate this magnitude 4.7 open cluster with your finderscope. I could see a loop of stars with some of the fainter stars forming interesting pairs and groups.

NGC 2645 (RA. 08h 39.2m Dec. -46° 15
) Also known as Pismis 6. Using 80x I found a delicate and interesting “L” shaped asterism of 5 bright stars and a number of fainter members.

NGC 2659 (RA. 08h 42.6m Dec. -44° 57
) A rather scattered grouping of faint stars that were just visible with 80x.

NGC 3201 (RA. 10h 17.6m Dec. -46° 25
) The only globular cluster in Vela is fortunately a relatively large cluster, with a less condensed central area. With 80x I could make out a faint sprinkle of diamond dust.

NGC 2925 (RA. 09h 33.7m Dec. -53° 26
) Another open cluster, this one consisting of about 25 stars at 80x. Look for the interesting pattern of one pair included in a closed circle of stars, with this crowned by a loop of stars sitting atop.

NGC 2910 (RA. 09h 30.4m Dec. -52° 54
) There is an arm of 4 relatively bright stars streaming out to one side of this compact irregular open cluster.

Rmk 13 (RA. 10h 20.0m Dec. -56° 03
) mag. 4.5 & 8.4, 7.2”, 1020 Use 80x and you will see a stunning pair with a blue/green secondary. At 90 degrees to the pair is a third star similar to the secondary which forms a beautiful pendant with Rmk 13. In the same field of view is another delicate pair somewhat fainter than Rmk 13.
Hartung calls this a “wide bright pair” which it’s not, rather a wide unequal pair. Nice magnitude contrast, and also an attractive field. Easy at x137 in the 14” and also at x190 in the 8”.

Chi Velorum (RA. 10h 39.3m Dec. -55° 38
) mag. 4.4, 51.8”, 106° Also known as Dunlop 95, this breathtaking easy double can be resolved with your finderscope. Look for the stunning colour contrast between the two components of this magnificent pair.

Dunlop 89 (RA. 10h 33.3m Dec. -55° 25
) mag.6.8, 25.9”, 31° This is another fine easy double star with 80x, showing similar colours to Chi.

HJ 4329 (RA. 10h 31.4m Dec.-53° 45
) mag. 5.0, 70”, 102° There is an interesting “V” shaped
asterism opposite the secondary in this very wide and easy pair.

NGC 3330 (RA. 10h 38.6m Dec. -54° 09
) A delicate elongated open cluster of about 12 stars.

NGC 3228 (RA. 10h 21.8m Dec. -51° 43
) A pretty little open cluster of about 12 stars. In the same field of view is a delicate pair with a faint secondary just visible with 80x.

Tau Velorum (RA. 10h.33.1m Dec. -47° 02
) mag. 5.2, 40.3”, 163° This is a truly beautiful sight with another pair of slightly fainter magnitude and separation close by. Both pairs have almost identical position angles, with a chain of two fainter stars linking the two primaries. Also look for the colour contrast between the primaries.

PZ3 (RA. 10h 32.2m Dec. -45° 06
) mag. 5.6, 13.5”, 219° Near Tau is this stunning off white coloured pair of similar brightness.

Gamma Velorum (Hartung 328) (RA. 08h 09.5m Dec. -47° 20
) mag. 1.8v 4.3, 41”, 2200
Part of a system of at least 6 stars, the primary being the brightest Wolf-Rayet star known (WR stars are massive very hot stars with characteristic bright emission spectra, losing mass rapidly through a strong stellar wind). Through the 14” at x137 the primary is bright white, with a well separated metallic yellow secondary, and a nice dimmer pair at right angles. A striking field.

D70 Velorum (Hartung 341) (RA. 08h 29.5m Dec. -44° 44
) mag. 5.2 7.1, 4.6”, 3510
Easy at x237 in the f10 14”. Nice colour contrast – pale yellow and pale blue. Also easy in the 8” at x190, but colours washed out by full moon.

Slr 8 Velorum (Hartung 344) (RA. 08h 32.1m Dec. -53° 13
) mag. 6.1 7.1, 0.8”, 2850
In good seeing the 14” splits this clearly at x861, and there is a nice colour contrast: orange and blue-white. On another night of mediocre seeing, the image was elongated with a gradual transition in colour from orange to blue-white, revealing the binary nature. At these sub-arcsecond separations, seeing is everything.

Del Velorum (Hartung 357) (RA. 08h 44.7m Dec. -54° 43
) mag. 2.1 5.0, 1.1”, 3440
Despite the name, the poetic Del Vel is the second brightest star in the constellation (perversely the brightest is gamma – see above), and its unusual history doesn’t stop there. Hartung says that this pair is “evidently difficult to measure since recorded values are somewhat erratic…”. He’s right. His list quotes a 1953 measure as 2.2” and 1540, but the Washington Double Star catalogue gives an 1894 value of 2.2” at 1770, a 1999 value of 1.1” at 3440 and a 2001 value of 1.0” at 3380. So either there are some errors here or the pair is moving very fast, and possibly both. With a magnitude difference of nearly 3 and a separation of only 1”, this pair is always going to be difficult to split. I think I have seen two centres on two separate nights in the 14” at a rather testing magnification of x1668 in good seeing, but the magnitude difference seemed less than that quoted, and the PA seemed 1800 out. So the story continues !

h 4136 Velorum (Hartung 357) (RA. 08h 44.7m Dec. -54° 43
) mag. 11.0 13.5, 6.2”, 1020
In the same field as Del Vel. A much dimmer pair, and the challenge here is the limiting magnitude of the scope. Averted vision helps. Clear in the 14” at x861 but harder at x556.

I11 Velorum (Hartung 382 ) (RA. 09h 15.2m Dec. -45° 33
) mag. 6.6 7.5, 0.8”, 2850
A tough one, but I can see two clear centres in the 14” in good seeing at x861, both white.

h 4245 Velorum (Hartung 400) (RA. 09h 46.1m Dec. -45° 55
) mag. 6.8 9.4, 9.4”, 2160
Nice magnitude contrast, and different colours – the primary is orange and the secondary ashy. Easy at x137 in the 14”, but better at x237. Difficult in the 8” but probably due to interference from an almost full moon.

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