Vela Supernova Remnant
Introduction


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The **Vela supernova remnant** is a [supernova remnant](/wiki/Supernova_remnant "Supernova remnant") in the southern constellation [Vela](/wiki/Vela_%28constellation%29 "Vela (constellation)"). Its source [Type II](/wiki/Type_II_supernova "Type II supernova") [supernova](/wiki/Supernova "Supernova") exploded approximately 11,000 years ago (and was about 900 [light\-years](/wiki/Light-year "Light-year") away). The association of the Vela supernova remnant with the [Vela pulsar](/wiki/Vela_Pulsar "Vela Pulsar"), made by astronomers at the [University of Sydney](/wiki/University_of_Sydney "University of Sydney") in 1968, was direct observational evidence that [supernovae](/wiki/Supernova "Supernova") form [neutron stars](/wiki/Neutron_star "Neutron star").

The Vela supernova remnant includes [NGC 2736](/wiki/NGC_2736 "NGC 2736"). Viewed from Earth, the Vela supernova remnant overlaps the [Puppis A supernova remnant](/wiki/Puppis_A "Puppis A"), which is four times more distant. Both the Puppis and Vela remnants are among the largest and brightest features in the [X\-ray sky](/wiki/X-ray_astronomy "X-ray astronomy").

The Vela supernova remnant is one of the closest known to us. The [Geminga](/wiki/Geminga "Geminga") [pulsar](/wiki/Pulsar "Pulsar") is closer (and also resulted from a supernova), and in 1998 another [near\-Earth supernova](/wiki/Near-Earth_supernova "Near-Earth supernova") remnant was discovered, [RX J0852\.0\-4622](/wiki/RX_J0852.0-4622 "RX J0852.0-4622"), which from our point of view appears to be contained in the southeastern part of the Vela remnant. This remnant was not seen earlier because when viewed in most wavelengths, it is lost in the Vela remnant.

File:267641main allsky labeled HI.jpg\|Position of Vela in the Milky Way
File:Vela\_SNR\_\-\_RASS.jpg\|Vela Supernova Remnant, imaged by \[\[ROSAT]]


When did the Vela supernova explode?