Star lore
Pollux
Direct answer
Pollux is Beta Geminorum, an orange giant that is brighter than Castor despite carrying the Beta designation.
Pollux is the brighter, warmer-colored head star of the celestial Twins.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related
- Altair, Deneb, Castor, Mimosa
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The story behind Pollux
The proper name honors one of the mythic twins; Bayer lettering did not strictly encode brightness here.
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The Road of the Sun
Where the twelve signs came from, and why they carry the names they do.
Why Pollux matters
Pollux is an accessible example of a giant star and hosts a confirmed giant exoplanet.
How to read Pollux
Find Pollux beside Castor northeast of Orion, then follow the eastern twin's line toward Gemini's feet.
Pollux in practice: an example
Pollux’s subtle orange hue becomes clearer when compared directly with whiter Castor.
Where readings of Pollux go wrong
Pollux and Castor form a visual pair but are not a gravitational binary with each other.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- IAU Division C Working Group on Star Names - Official IAU working group responsible for standardizing star names used in international astronomy.
- CDS SIMBAD Astronomical Database - Professional astronomical database for stellar identifiers, positions, classifications, and bibliography.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
Compare the two heads of Gemini
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Common questions
What is Pollux?
Pollux is Beta Geminorum, an orange giant that is brighter than Castor despite carrying the Beta designation.
What do people get wrong about Pollux?
Pollux and Castor form a visual pair but are not a gravitational binary with each other.
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