Pollux

Pollux is the brightest star in the Gemini constellation and the Latin name for Polydeuces, one of the Dioscuri—twin brothers in Greek and Roman mythology alongside Castor. In myth, Pollux is immortal while Castor is mortal; when Castor dies, Pollux asks Zeus to share his immortality, and the gods grant them a place among the gods in Olympus, keeping them together in the sky as the twins.

In astronomy, Pollux is designated Beta Geminorum and is the brighter of the pair that defines the Gemini figure. It is a yellow-orange giant of spectral type K0 III, located about 33 light-years from Earth. Its apparent magnitude is about 1.14, making it easily visible in many skies. Pollux is relatively nearby and one of the closest bright stars to the Sun. The star is typically considered a single star, and there are no confirmed planets accompanying it as of current observations; it shows solar-like oscillations rather than planet-induced signals.

The name Pollux is the Latin form of the Greek Polydeukes, and the star’s association with the Dioscuri has given the term a lasting place in navigational and astronomical contexts. Pollux, together with Castor, represents the twin bright stars that define the Gemini figure in the sky.