GEMINI CONSTELLATION
The zodiac twins that were first cataloged in the second century by Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer. Better known as the constellation Gemini, this represents the twins Castor and Pollux.
Constellations are defined by a set of stars positioned fixedly in the sky, which means that their location is generally immutable. Throughout the years the populations decided to name each one of them, and its meaning may vary according to the culture of each one.
THE CONSTELLATION OF GEMINI
The constellation of Gemini is considered the third largest in the galaxy, occupying an area of 514 square degrees. Its neighboring constellations are; Auriga, Cancer, Canis Minor, Lynx, Monoceros, Orion and Taurus.
Geminis is one of the constellations easier to appreciate in the night sky, it is located northwest of Orion and between Taurus and Cancer, and its two large stars stand out for their great light. The constellation of Gemini is best appreciated during the winter sky around 9 at night.
It is made up of a star cluster called Messier 35, and has 7 stars with known planets. Its brightest star is Pollux, with a magnitude of 1.14. In addition there are two meteor showers associated with the constellation; the Geminids and the Rho Geminids. The Geminids are generally bright and peak around December 13-14.
LEGENDS AND MYTHS OF THE GEMINI CONSTELLATION
Like almost all constellations, its history originates in Greek mythology. Gemini represents the twins Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus. There are other versions of the myth that only Pollux was the son of Zeus and Castor was the son of the mortal King Tyndareus of Sparta.
Queen Leda of Sparta was raped by Zeus when he appeared to her in the form of a beautiful swan, becoming pregnant with Polydeuces and Helen, who would become the famous Helen of Troy. That same day, Leda also became pregnant by Castor and Clytemnestra. They were sired by Tyndareus and, unlike the sons of Zeus, they were mortal.
Legend also tells that Castor and Pollux grew up together and were very close. Castor was an excellent horseman and skilled in fencing </ strong>, and P ólux was famous for his boxing skills </ strong>. The two were part of the expedition of the Argonauts to obtain the Golden Fleece.
The twins rescued the crew on several occasions. For this reason they were known as the patron saints of sailors, and it was said that the god Poseidon himself gave them the power to rescue sailors who were shipwrecked at sea and that he also gave them two white horses on which they are sometimes represented.
Castor and Pollux kidnapped the daughters of Leucippus, Hilaira and Phoebe, and married them. For this, Idas and Lynceus, also twin brothers and nephews of Leucippus, killed Castor.
THE STARS OF THE GEMINI CONSTELLATION
Like all constellations in their structure, they are marked by main stars, which are the ones that mark the figure. They are usually large and shiny. In the case of the constellation of Gemini, these are Castor and Pollux, names placed as a tribute to the protagonists of the story.
CÁSTOR
Giant and white, Castor, is a star with a magnitude of 1.58, although it is not the brightest in the constellation of Gemini, it is one of the larger, and its designation "α", is due to its position and is considered a multiple system or double star.
Castor-A is a white star of magnitude 1.98. Castor-B is also white, of magnitude 2.88. They circle around each other following an eccentric orbit in 400 years. Each of these two stars is also double. Castor-A is composed of two similar stars that orbit in 9.2 days at a distance of 0.04 au. The two stars in Castor-B complete one revolution in just 2.9 days.
PÓLUX
The constellation's brightest star is Pollux (β Geminorum), of magnitude 1.16, the 17th brightest star in the sky. It is an orange giant, distant about 34 light-years (close supply of our solar system, then), about ten times larger than the Sun.
With an apparent magnitude of 1.14., Pollux also has two meteor showers associated with the constellation; the Geminids and the Rho Geminids. The Geminids are generally bright, peaking around December 13-14.
THE GEMINIANS
Each constellation belongs to a zodiac sign, and its name corresponds to each of them. Those born under the sign of Gemini and ruled by this constellation are usually curious and restless people. They are people interested in knowing everything that happens around them.
They are characterized by being very sociable, they are in constant movement and adapt to different situations. They are multifaceted people, so it is natural that they know everything. They are tolerant of those around them but tend to avoid people who are overly emotional.
SIGN COMPATIBILITY
We all know that each sign of the Zodiac has some individual characteristics that differentiate them from all the others. But it is also true that some share common traits and totally contradictory traits.
Some may be more emotional than others, more or less sociable, ambitious, passionate and a very long etc. often guided by their element: air, fire, earth or water.
