Like a pair of twins, two stars shine prominently in the evening skies of the Northern Hemisphere spring each year. They are Pollux and Castor in the constellation Gemini the Twins. Pollux, also known as Beta Geminorum, is slightly brighter than Castor. It shines with a golden glow while Castor appears whiter.

Is Pollux a big star?

Pollux, also called Beta Geminorum, brightest star in the zodiacal constellation Gemini. A reddish giant star, it has an apparent visual magnitude of 1.15. The stars Castor and Pollux are named for the mythological twins. Pollux is 33.7 light-years from Earth.

Is Castor a double star?

To the unaided eye, the star Castor in the constellation Gemini the Twins appears as a bright pinpoint of light. But it's actually three pairs of binary stars – six stars in all – in a complex dance about a common center of mass. Even a fairly small telescope will show Castor as two stars.