Facts about Pollux
- 10
Designated Beta Geminorum, Pollux is the brightest star in the Gemini constellation despite its 'Beta' designation suggesting otherwise.
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Within 5,000 years, Pollux will move so close to Earth that its apparent brightness increases by approximately 25 percent due to its rapid proper motion of 627 milliarcseconds per year.
- 08
Pollux's iron content is approximately 150 percent higher than the Sun's, making it notably metal-rich among nearby stars.
- 07
Pollux's rotation period spans approximately 558 days, making it one of the slowest-rotating bright stars visible from Earth.
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Pollux has expanded to roughly 8.8 times the Sun's radius during its evolution into the giant phase, swallowing any planets that may have orbited within its current photosphere.
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Pollux's mass reaches approximately 1.9 times the Sun's mass, making it one of the most massive bright stars visible from Earth's night sky.
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Around 2,000 years ago, Pollux and its twin Castor were catalogued by Ptolemy as the brightest stars in the Gemini constellation, with Pollux now outshining its companion.
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At approximately 4,900 Kelvin, Pollux's surface temperature is cooler than our Sun's 5,778 Kelvin, classifying it as an orange giant rather than a yellow dwarf.
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Pollux possesses a brown dwarf companion orbiting every 1.2 days, making it one of the nearest known exoplanetary systems to Earth.
- 01
The star Pollux is approximately 34 light-years away and shines with a luminosity 46 times greater than Earth's Sun.