The constellation of Gemini, the Twins // Steffen Elste
Click below to read more about the stars that make up Gemini as well as an annotated image!
In order of brightness:
Pollux (β Geminorum) is the brightest star in the constellation. It is an orange giant star about 34 light years from Earth. In 2006, an exoplanet was possibly detected around Pollux; it was named Thestias. The name, like Castor (α Geminorum) below, comes from the story of Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology.
Castor (α Geminorum) is the second-brightest star in the constellation. This is a sextuple star system about 49 light years from Earth. The system consists of two blue-white giants and four red dwarf stars.
Alhena (γ Geminorum) is a binary star consisting of a blue-white giant star and a yellow star like our Sun. The whole system is about 109 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic word Al Han'ah meaning "the brand."
Tejat (μ Geminorum) is a solitary red giant star about 230 light years from Earth. The name comes from the Arabic word tiḥyāt although the meaning of this word has been lost.
Mebsuta (ε Geminorum) is yellow-orange supergiant star about 860 light years from Earth. It is over 130 times the size of the Sun! The name comes from the Arabic word Mabsūṭah meaning "outstretched paw."
Propus (η Geminorum) is a triple star system consisting of a red giant, a blue-white star, and a yellow giant. The entire system is about 380 light years away. The name comes from the Greek word propus meaning "forward foot."
Alzirr (ξ Geminorum) is a blue-white giant star about 59 light years from Earth. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-zirr meaning "the button."
Wasat (δ Geminorum) is a triple star system consisting of at least a white giant star and a red dwarf. The entire system is about 60 light years from Earth. The name comes from the Arabic word for "middle."
κ Geminorum is a binary star system with the primary being a yellow-orange giant star. The system lies about 141 light years away. In Chinese astronomy, the star has the name Jīxīn (積薪) meaning "pile of firewood."
λ Geminorum is a potential multiple star system. The primary star is a blue-white giant star about 101 light years away.
θ Geminorum is a single blue-white giant star about 189 light years away.
ι Geminorum is a single yellow-orange giant star about 120 light years away. In Chinese astronomy, it has the name Wu Zhū Hóu sān (五諸侯三) meaning "third star of the five feudal kings."
Mekbuda (ζ Geminorum) is yellow-white supergiant star about 1,120 light years from Earth. Its name comes from an Arabic phrase meaning "the lion's folded paw."
ν Geminorum is a triple star system consisting of at least two blue giant stars. The system is about 540 light years away. One star catalog gave it the name Nucatai, which comes from the Arabic word Al Nuḥātai meaning "the camel's hump."
1 Geminorum is a triple star system consisting of an orange giant, a blue-white giant, and a yellow Sun-like star. The system is about 153 light years from Earth.
The Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443, center) and friends // kuechlew
The friends include the Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2174) in the bottom right, the Shoe-Buckle Cluster (M35) in the upper right, and the stars Propus (η Geminorum) to the right of the Jellyfish and Tejat (μ Geminorum) to the left of the Jellyfish.
The Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2147, upper left), Sh2-247 (left), and the Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443, center) // Mel Martin
The star to the right is Tejat (μ Geminorum), a solitary red giant star about twice the mass but over 100 times the size of the Sun! Its name comes from the Arabic word tiḥyāt, although the word's meaning is unknown.
