Stars · Star in Gemini
Star
Pollux
The immortal twin — an orange giant with a giant planet of its own, found in 2006.
- Constellation
- Gemini
- Designation
- β Geminorum
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.16 · 18th brightest star in the night sky
- Spectral class
- K0IIIvar
- Distance
- 33.8 light-years
- Position (J2000)
- RA 7h 45m · Dec +28° 02′
An orange giant, around 5,200 K, like Arcturus and Aldebaran. About 140× brighter than the faintest star the eye can see. The light you are seeing left in 1992.
Myth
He gave up half his immortality to be with his brother Castor. Oddly, Pollux is the brighter of the two, though Bayer lettered Castor alpha.