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Glite Dictionary
Pollux

Pollux

1 9.1
The brightest star in the constellation Gemini near Castor
  • proper noun
: Pólux
  • There you will find Orion, Cassiopeia, and Cygnus, along with the stars Alphard and Pollux.
  • Pollux and Castor

Examples

  • On clear nights, you can easily spot Pollux, the brightest star in the constellation Gemini.

  • As a prominent feature in the winter sky, Pollux shines brightly alongside its counterpart, Castor.

  • The moon is high in the south by dawn, to the right of Gemini's bright stars Pollux and Castor.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Venus passes 4° south of Pollux, noon PDT; the full moon is at 6:04 P.M. PDT, June 2007.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Astronomers often study Pollux to understand more about its twin star, Castor.

Surface Forms

Pollux main

Etymology

Pollux comes from the name of one of the twin brothers in old Greek and Roman stories, and the bright star was named after that mythic twin. It sits in the constellation Gemini, which means 'twins', so Pollux is remembered as one of the two 'twin stars' beside Castor.