Blue supergiant · Vela
γ² Velorum
Also known as: γ² Vel, HIP 39953
mag 1.81,100 light-years
About
γ² Velorum is a blue supergiant of magnitude 1.8 in Vela, about 1,100 light-years away.
How to find it
- γ² Velorum is in the constellation Vela.
- Best evenings: around early March it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 33° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesEasy, even from town. It looks blue-white.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Designation | γ² Velorum (γ² Vel) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 39953 |
| Type | Blue supergiant |
| Spectral type | WC8 + O9I |
| Colour | Blue-whiteB−V colour index −0.14 |
| Magnitude | 1.8The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 1,100 light-yearsThe light you see left it around AD 900. Distances this large are uncertain by 10% or more. |
| Proper motion | 0.012″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Vela |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 08h 09m 31.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −47° 20′ 12″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →