Which constellation represents the sails of the Argo Navis? Vela is the answer.
Vela is the modern constellation representing the sails of Argo Navis, the legendary ship sailed by Jason and the Argonauts. Its name is Latin for “the sails.” Argo Navis was one of Ptolemy’s 48 classical constellations, but its enormous size made it difficult to use as a single constellation.
In the eighteenth century, French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille divided the old ship into three sections: Carina, the keel; Puppis, the stern or poop deck; and Vela, the sails. The International Astronomical Union formalized those three as separate modern constellations in the twentieth century, while Argo Navis became obsolete.
A frequent source of confusion is Pyxis, the compass, which lies nearby but was created as a separate modern constellation. Vela is also unusual because the old Bayer star designations were preserved across the division: Carina retained Alpha and Beta, Vela’s brightest stars include Gamma and Delta, and Puppis kept Zeta.