This part of the sky has been seen as a sailing vessel since ancient times, with the Greeks interpreting it as the Argo, the vessel that carried Jason and the Argonauts. The resulting constellation covered a significantly larger area of the sky than any other, and for convenience it was subdivided into three component constellations: Vela the Sail, Puppis the Stern and Carina the Keel. Pyxis the Compass, neighbouring Puppis to the east, was also traditionally associated with this wide area of the sky.
A huge constellation representing the Argo, the ship on which Jason sailed to
find the Golden Fleece. With a total angular area of almost 1,700 square degrees, though,
this gigantic region of the sky proved to be impractically large. It was therefore subdivided into
the three constellations we know today: Vela the Sail, Puppis the Stern and Carina the Keel.
Show on Sky Map