Gemini

Abbreviation:  Gem
English Name:  The Twin
Genitive: Castor
Hemisphere:  Northern Hemisphere
Location: Between the constellations of Cancer and Auriga.
Visible between latitudes:  +90 and -60 degrees
Best season: Winter
Seen in three seasons: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Best seen in:  Early February
Seen between: November and April
Right Ascension (RA):  07 hour
Declination (DEC):  +20 degrees
Area (square degrees):  514 (30th)

Gemini (The Twin)

• The constellation of the Zodiac; the Sun passes through it from 21st June and 20th July.
• Its brightest stars are Castor and Pollux are twin brothers, together known as the Discuri; an extrasolar planet orbiting massive Pollux star there.

Messier Objects

• M35 – Open Cluster; easily visible with binoculars, the compact Open Cluster NGC 2158 lies directly southwest of M35.

Features of Interest

• NGC 2392 – The Eskimo Nebula or Clown Face Nebula; planetary nebula with a magnitude +9.2 – in a large telescope, its magnitude +10.0 central star is visible, along with its blue-green elliptical disk. (See the photo: seen by small telescope / large telescope.)

Named Stars

• Castor (Alpha Gem)
• Pollux (Beta Gem)
• ALHENA (Gamma Gem)
• Wasat (Delta Gem)
• Mebsuta (Epsilon Gem)
• Mekbuda (Zeta Gem)
• Propus (Eta Gem)
• Propus (Iota Gem)
• Tejat Posterior (Mu Gem)
• Alzirr (Xi Gem)
• Propus (1 Gem)

Others

• Photo of the constellation; Gemini, as it appears to the naked eye. (Lines have been added for clarity.)
• Sky Chart  –  Gemini
• List of stars in Gemini.

 

Back to The 88 Constellations Lists  page.