| Right Ascension | 08 : 34.0 (h:m) |
|---|---|
| Declination | -45 : 50 (deg:m) |
| Distance | 0.815 (kly) |
| Visual brightness | (mag) |
| Apparent dimension | 255 (arc min) |
This SNR is the remnant of a supernova which occurred about 9,000 - 27,000 years ago; pulsar observations indicate 11,200 years. At its distance of only abpout 815 light years, it covers an area measuring about 4 deg in diameter. It contains the pulsar PSR B0833-45, the Vela Pulsar, which is surrounded by the pulsar wind nebula PWN Vela X, and shows indication of probable interaction with interstellar matter. Its brightest part is the Pencil Nebula NGC 2736, also called Herschel's Ray, which had been discovered in 1835 by John Herschel.
The Vela SNR overlaps with two other SNRs: SNR G260.4-3.4 and SNR G266.2-1.2. It lies in the direction of the Gum Nebula, a huge diffuse nebula of about 40 deg extent.