Vela

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Vela: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Did You Know?

The name Vela stems from the Spanish verb "velar," meaning "to watch over."
In 1984 the last Vela reconnaissance satellite was taken down.
In 1979 one of the satellites picked up data that signaled a possible nuclear test, and suspicion fell on Israel.

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Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.

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