Pollux - β Geminorum (beta Geminorum)
Pollux, also designated as β Geminorum (beta Geminorum), is a variable and multiple hypergiant star in the constellation of Gemini.
Pollux visual magnitude is 1.14, making it the 16th brightest star in the sky. Thanks to its high brightness, Pollux is clearly visible when observed from locations with dark skies, and should be also quite easily visible from light polluted areas.
The proper motion of Pollux is -0.628 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.046 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 1000 years is represented with the red arrow.
Key facts about Pollux
Pollux - β Geminorum (beta Geminorum) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
Altitude: -2.0°
Azimuth: 37.1°
Direction: North-East
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Pollux
Pollux is situated north of the celestial equator, as such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of Pollux are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of Pollux in the sky:
Visibility of Pollux from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Pollux - β Geminorum (beta Geminorum) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Distance of Pollux from the Sun and relative movement
Pollux is distant 33.70 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 3 kilometers per second.
Spectral properties of Pollux
Pollux belongs to spectral class K0 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a hypergiant star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where Pollux is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
Pollux star system properties
Pollux is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the Pollux double sysyem: