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α Geminorum (Latinised to Alpha Geminorum) is the star system's Bayer designation. Castor and Pollux are the two "heavenly twin" stars that give the constellation Gemini (meaning twins in Latin) its name. The name Castor refers specifically to Castor, one of the twin sons of Zeus and Leda in Greek and Roman mythology.
The twin above and to the right (as seen from the Northern Hemisphere) is Castor, whose brightest star is α Gem; it is a second-magnitude star and represents Castor's head. The twin below and to the left is Pollux, whose brightest star is β Gem (more commonly called Pollux); it is of the first magnitude and represents Pollux's head.
Castor [a] and Pollux [b] (or Polydeuces) [c] are twin half-brothers in Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri or Dioskouroi. [d]Their mother was Leda, but they had different fathers; Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, while Pollux was the divine son of Zeus, who seduced Leda in the guise of a swan. [2]
Iota Geminorum (ι Geminorum, ι Gem) is a solitary [9] fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Gemini. In the sky, it forms an isosceles triangle with Castor and Pollux , and is located less than a degree from the 5th magnitude stars 64 and 65 Geminorum.
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β Geminorum (Latinised to Beta Geminorum) is the star's Bayer designation. The traditional name Pollux refers to the twins Castor and Pollux in Greek and Roman mythology. [16] In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) [17] to catalog and standardize proper names for stars.
As a result, the brightest star in each class did not always get listed first in Bayer's order—and the brightest star overall did not necessarily get the designation "Alpha". A good example is the constellation Gemini, where Pollux is Beta Geminorum and the slightly dimmer Castor is Alpha Geminorum.
α Geminorum Aa: Castor /ˈkæstər/ Cassiopeia: υ 2 Cassiopeiae: Castula /ˈkæstjʊlə/ Ophiuchus: β Ophiuchi: Cebalrai /ˌsɛbəlˈreɪ.iː/ Chamaeleon: HD 63454: Ceibo: NameExoWorlds 2019 Uruguayan proposal; named after Erythrina crista-galli (the native tree that gives rise to the national flower). // Taurus: 16 Tauri: Celaeno: Member of ...