Gemini
Gemini is a northern constellation, dominated by its two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux. It is visible throughout the northern winter months, culminating at midnight around New Year. It was one of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century AD astronomer Ptolemy.
Both the galactic plane and the line of the ecliptic pass through this area of the sky: the Sun crosses the border from Taurus shortly after the June solstice, and remains in Gemini until late July. Gemini is home to a number of open clusters, the brightest of which is M35.
The name ‘Gemini’ is Latin for twins, and refers to Castor and Pollux in classical mythology. Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers. Castor was the son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, while Pollux was the son of Zeus.
Castor and Pollux were twin brothers, the sons of Zeus and Leda, the wife of Tyndarus, king of Sparta. They sailed with Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. They were invincible fighters with unparalleled courage. Pollux distinguished himself as a great boxer or fighter and Castor as a great wrestler. Some stories say Castor was a great horseman. These two were inseparable companions and fought their best when they were near each other. Because of the help they gave their fellow Argonauts during a storm which threatened to sink their ship, the constellation Gemini was considered a favorable sign to sailors when they saw it. Today, Gemini can be seen between the constellations of Orion and Cancer, near Leo.
According to legend, Castor was killed in a family feud with his cousins, while Pollux was an immortal demigod. After his brother’s death, Zeus offered Pollux the choice of sharing his immortality with his brother, and to commemorate their great feats and the help they gave to the sailors, and because of their great love for each other, Zeus placed their constellation in the sky.
In Babylonian astronomy, the stars Castor and Pollux were known as the Great Twins. The Twins were regarded as minor gods and were called Meshlamtaea and Lugalirra, meaning respectively ‘The One who has arisen from the Underworld’ and the ‘Mighty King’. Both names can be understood as titles of Nergal, the major Babylonian god of plague and pestilence, who was king of the Underworld.
Gemini being a Zodiac sign has its own symbol and the emoji ♊.
In the Indian constellations naming system, Gemini is known as ಮಿಥುನ (Mithuna)
Gemini contains:
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Stars
- Pollux (mag 1.2)
- Castor (mag 1.6)
- Alhena (mag 1.9)
- α-Gem (mag 2.9)
- μ-Gem (mag 2.9)
- Mebsuta (mag 3.0)
- Propus (mag 3.3)
- ξ-Gem (mag 3.3)
- Wasat (mag 3.5)
- λ-Gem (mag 3.6)
- κ-Gem (mag 3.6)
- θ-Gem (mag 3.6)
- ι-Gem (mag 3.8)
- Mekbuda (mag 4.0)
- υ-Gem (mag 4.1)
- ν-Gem (mag 4.1)
- ρ-Gem (mag 4.2)
- 1-Gem (mag 4.2)
- σ-Gem (mag 4.3)
- τ-Gem (mag 4.4)
- 30-Gem (mag 4.5)
- e-Gem (mag 4.7)
- g-Gem (mag 4.9)
- O-Gem (mag 4.9)
- χ-Gem (mag 4.9)
-
Open Clusters
-
Globular Clusters
- None
-
Galaxy
- NGC 2339 (mag 11.6)
- NGC 2342 (mag 12.2)
- NGC 2487 (mag 12.2)
- NGC 2389 (mag 12.8)
- NGC 2341 (mag 12.9)
- NGC 2486 (mag 13.3)
- NGC 2481 (mag 13.4)
- NGC 2379 (mag 13.5)
- NGC 2435 (mag 13.5)
- NGC 2274 (mag 13.6)
- NGC 2418 (mag 13.7)
- NGC 2365 (mag 13.8)
- IC 2196 (mag 14.0)
- NGC 2333 (mag 14.1)
- NGC 2370 (mag 14.3)
- NGC 2449 (mag 14.3)
- NGC 2498 (mag 14.4)
- NGC 2492 (mag 14.4)
- NGC 2373 (mag 14.5)
- IC 2211 (mag 14.5)
- NGC 2275 (mag 14.5)
- IC 2203 (mag 14.5)
- NGC 2357 (mag 14.6)
- NGC 2290 (mag 14.6)
- NGC 2289 (mag 14.6)
View Gemini in 3D
Source: Wikipedia, in-the-sky.org
Image Courtesy: Sky&Telescope & IAU, Illustration Images linked from Urania's Mirror on Wikmedia Commons by Sidney Hall
Image Courtesy: Sky&Telescope & IAU, Illustration Images linked from Urania's Mirror on Wikmedia Commons by Sidney Hall