Heavenly Properties

The constellation of Gemini ("The Twins") is a familiar pattern in the night sky. It is one of the most prominent and the most northerly of the Zodiac constellations. Various cultures have perceived the stars as twins...either as gods, men, animals or plants. Gemini lays in a southerly direction, found above and to the left of Orion the Hunter. It consists of two long lines of stars, each of which is topped with a bright star. Castor (also known as the Alpha Gem) and Pollux (also known as Beta Gem), the two major stars, are close together and farthest to the left of this constellation, representing the heads of the Twins. Castor, blue-white in color, was the first star to be recognized as a binary or double pair, one of which is slightly brighter than the other. It takes approximately 350 years for the fainter star to circle once around the brighter one. Pollux, the seventeenth brightest star in the heavens, is similar in many ways to the Sun. It is about the same color and temperature, but is brighter and larger. Pollux appears as a white star to the naked eye, but actually emits a yellow light. It is rare to have two stars of such similar brightness so close together in the sky. The Ancients considered Castor and Pollux to be equally brilliant, but today, astronomers have noted that Pollux has become somewhat brighter and it is believed that this star may possibly be reaching the point where it expands to a red giant...thus finally ending its life cycle.

During the Winter months, Gemini rises in the east and stands high in the heavens but, as the Summer months approach, it sinks below the horizon. This constellation is visible from the Northern Hemisphere beginning in November and lasting through April. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is visible from December through March. The Geminids, one of the most prominent meteor showers in the heavens radiates from Gemini (the region around Castor), reaching its peak during mid-December. The appearance of this meteor shower was first noted in 1862. The meteor shower Rho Geminids is usually visible from the end of December to the end of January. It was first detected in 1872.

This constellation is home to a number of impressive star clusters, including the "Eskimo" or "Clown-Faced" Nebula, first spotted by William Herschel, who likened it to a person's hooded head. In addition, the Milky Way flows nearby. Excepting Castor and Pollux, other named stars within the constellation of Gemini include: Wasat (whose name means "middle"), a white and purple star located on the right arm of Castor; Mekbuda (also known as the the "Zeta Gem"), which shines with a yellow-white light and has been likened to a lion's folded paw; Alhena (sometimes referred to as "Al Hena"), the third brightest star of the constellation, brilliant white in color and located in the left foot of Castor; Propus, a relatively dim star positioned in front of Castor's forward foot; Mebsuta (one of the heavens' rarities since it is a cool Glass G Supergiant), the constellation's fifth brightest star and likened to a lion's outstretched paw; and Tejat (also known as Dirah), a double star, crocus yellow and blue in color, located in the right heel of Castor. Gemini's nearby constellations (in addition to the already mentioned Orion) are Auriga the Charioteer, Taurus the Bull, Monoceros the Unicorn, Canis Minor the Little Dog, Cancer the Crab and Lynx the Lynx.

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