Pollux
Product information
Description
Pollux glows with a warm orange hue and sits to the left of Castor in the night sky. As the brightest star in Gemini, it anchors the 'twin' figure and is easily seen during winter evenings.
Additional Information
- Constellation
- Gemini
- Spectral Type
- K0III
- Apparent Magnitude
- 1.14
- Distance (Light Years)
- 33.78
- Right Ascension
- 07h 45m 18.9s
- Declination
- +28° 01′ 34″
- Solar Masses
- 1.86
- Radius (Solar)
- 8.8
- Temperature (Kelvin)
- 4865
- Age (Million Years)
- 724
Discovery
- Ancient Civilizations
- Greeks, Romans, Babylonians
- Historical Significance
- Pollux has been recognized since antiquity. It was revered in Roman and Greek mythology as one of the twin stars of Gemini, alongside Castor. The pair symbolized companionship, loyalty, and immortality.
Cultural Significance
- Mythology
- Pollux, along with Castor, represents the mythical twins of the constellation Gemini. In Greek mythology, Pollux was immortal, while Castor was mortal — symbolizing the bond between gods and men. Their story is associated with protection over sailors and brotherly love.
- Navigation
- Pollux’s brightness and prominence in the northern winter sky made it a useful aid for ancient navigators across the Mediterranean and beyond.
- Modern Reference
- Pollux is frequently mentioned in modern astronomy books and is of interest to exoplanet researchers, thanks to the discovery of a planet orbiting it.
Notable Features
- Stellar Motion
- Pollux shows clear proper motion and is relatively close to Earth, making it a well-studied target for astrometric analysis.
- Additional Fact
- Pollux is the closest giant star to Earth and hosts an exoplanet — a gas giant with a minimum mass of over two times that of Jupiter, discovered in 2006.
User Dedications
- Dedications
- This star has not been claimed yet. Be the first to dedicate it to someone special!