Gêmeos
Twins (Geminorum)
Gemini, the Twins, is a zodiacal constellation featuring two bright stars, Castor and Pollux, representing the heads of the mythological twin brothers. The constellation is home to the spectacular Geminid meteor shower, one of the year's best displays of shooting stars, occurring every December. Several interesting deep-sky objects and multiple star systems make Gemini a rewarding target for observation.
📜 Mitologia
Castor and Pollux were twin brothers born to Leda, Queen of Sparta, but had different fathers. Pollux was the divine son of Zeus and therefore immortal, while Castor was the mortal son of King Tyndareus. The brothers were inseparable - when Castor was killed in battle, Pollux was devastated and asked Zeus to let him share his immortality with his brother. Zeus honored their bond by placing them together in the sky, where they remain eternally side by side.
💡 Fatos curiosos
- ✦The Geminid meteor shower peaks around December 13-14 and can produce up to 150 meteors per hour
- ✦Castor appears as a single star but is actually a sextuple star system - six stars orbiting each other
- ✦An exoplanet was discovered orbiting Pollux in 2006, named Pollux b