Star profile
Suhail
Lambda Velorum · Vela
Variable starWhat is Suhail
Suhail sails through the southern constellation Vela —the ancient remnants of Jason's ship Argo—, an orange giant variable some 544 light-years away. Its name, from the Arabic «suhayl», once referred to several bright southern stars that guided desert caravans home through long nights. Today it belongs to her alone, beating gently above the skies of the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, beyond the reach of European observers.
Where it is and when to see it
Suhail lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is March, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never rises above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 6° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 80° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere south of 47° N.
It ranks no. 3 in brightness among the 127 stars of Vela in our catalogue. To find it, start from Gamma 2 Velorum, the brightest: it lies about 11° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 540 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Suhail
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Suhail
- Constellation
- Vela
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.23
- Distance
- 544.6 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 136.999° · Dec -43.433°
- Catalogue
- HIP 44816 · HD 78647
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Vela
Vela has 127 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Gamma 2 Velorum1.75
- AlsephinaDelta Velorum1.93
- MarkebKappa Velorum2.47
- Mu Velorum2.69
- HIP 467013.16
- Phi Velorum3.52
- Omicron Velorum3.60
- Psi Velorum3.60