✧ Gemini

  Gemini is an asterism in Gemini.

                         ⢀⣀⣠⢤·
                    •·⣒⠚⠉⠉⢀⡴⠋
                      ⠈⢉⣳·⡋
                 •⡤⠤⠤·⠚⠉  ⠉⠳⣄
                 ⡇⠙·⡀       ⠈⠓⢦⡀
                 ·  ⠳⡄         ⠙•⣤⣀
                     ⠙⣆          ⠳⡌⠉⠓•⠤·
                      ⠈·⣄⡀        ⠙⣆
                       ⡇ ⠉⠓·⣄⡀     ⠈·
                       ⡇     ⠙⠲⢤⣀
                       ·⣄⣀      ⠈⠙•
                         ⠈⠙⠲⠤⣄⡀
                              ⠉⠓·

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Gemini
  Stars           17

  More information about Gemini

  Gemini is Latin for "the twins", and Castor and Pollux make up their
  heads. Two roughly parallel lines of fainter stars run down from them to
  the feet, which rest at the edge of the Milky Way. There is an oddity in
  the labelling. Astronomers letter the stars of a constellation in Greek,
  in order of brightness, so Alpha should be the brightest, but here Beta
  Geminorum, which is Pollux, clearly outshines Alpha Geminorum, which is
  Castor. Whether the labelling was simply wrong when it was done in 1603
  or Castor has genuinely faded since is not settled. Castor is also not
  one star. It is six, arranged as three pairs orbiting one another. The
  Babylonians drew the Great Twins in these same stars long before the
  Greeks did.

  Etymology
  From        Latin
  Reading     Gemini
  Literally   the twins

  The evolution of Gemini over time

  -50,000 years
  
  
  
                                                          ⣀·
                                   Castor •⢦⡤⣀⡀         ⡠⠞⠁
                                            ⠉⠢⣉⠑⠒⠤⣄⡀  ⡤⠊⠁
                              Pollux          ⠈⠑⠢⣀⡠⢬⡻·⣄
                           ⠐•⢖⡒⠒⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⣖⣦⣤⣤⣤⡤⠤⠤⠤⠴⠒⠉⠉⠑·   ⠑⢄
                              ⠈⠑⠒⠤⣀       ⠉⠉·⡀·          ⠙⠢⣀
                                   ⠉⠒⠤⣀      ⠹⡄            ⠈⠲⢄   Mebsuta
                                       ⠉⠓·    ⠘⡄              ⠙•⡤⠤⠤⣄⣀⣀⣀
                                               ⠘⢄               ⠑⣄    ⠈⠉• Tejat Posterior
                                                ⠈⢆  Wasat        ⠈⢢⡀    · Propus
                                                 ⢸·⠓⠢⢄⣀   Mekbuda  ⠘⢆
                                                 ⢸     ⠉·⠦⣄⡀         ·
                                                 ⢸         ⠈⠑⠢⢄⣀
                                                 ⢸⣀            ⠈⠙⠲⠤⡀
                                                  ·⠉⠉⠙⠒⠒⠦⠤⠤⣄⣀      • Alhena
                                                            · Alzir
  
  
  
  now
  
  
                                                ⢀⣀⡠⣤·
                                         ⣀⣀⠤⠴⠒⠚⠉⠉⡠⠚
                               Castor •⠙·⠥⣄⡀   ⡠⠎
                                           ⠈⣉⡷·⡀
                                  ⣀⣀⡀    ⢀⡠⠚⠁  ⠈⠓⢄
                           Pollux •⠓⠮⡉⠉⠉⠉·        ⠑⠦⡀
                                  ⡇  ·⢆             ⠈⠓⢄
                                 ⠠⠇    ⢳⡀      Mebsuta •⢦⢤⣀
                                  ·     ⠑⣄               ⠳⡈⠙⠒⠤⣀  ⢀⣀
                                         ⠈⢦⣀              ⠘⢆   •⠉⠉· Propus
                                    Wasat · ⠉⠑⠲⠤⣀ Mekbuda   ⠑⣄   Tejat Posterior
                                          ⢸     ·⠑⠢⣄⡀        ·
                                          ⠘⡆        ⠉⠒⢄⡀
                                           ⡇           ⠈⠒⢤⣀
                                           ·⠙⠲⠤⣀          • Alhena
                                                ⠉⠒⠢⢄⣀
                                                    ⠈⠙⠒⠤
                                                        · Alzir
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
                                   ⠐·⠒⠤⠤⠤⠤⣄⣀⣀⣀⡀
                                     ⠳⡀       ⠉⠉⠉⠉⡱·
                                      ⠘⠦⡀       ⡠⠋
                                        ⠙•⠤⣄⣀ ⡠⠊
                                  Castor    ⢀·⠢⣄
                                           ⡰⠃   ⠑⢤⡀
                                       ⣀⣀⢤·⠶⠞⠋•   ⠈⠲⢄
                                    ⣈·⡽⠒⠊⠉           ⠙⠦⡀ Mebsuta
                                 ·⠚⠉  ⠙⢤⡀       Pollux •⢦⣄
                                        ⠑⢄               ⠳⡓⢄⡀   ⣀⡤⠔· Propus
                                    Wasat ·⠒⠦⢄⣀  Mekbuda  ⠘⢦⠑•⠒⠉⠁
                                          ⢇    ·⠢⣀          ·  Tejat Posterior
                                          ⢸      ⠈⠑⢤⡀
                                          ⢸         ⠈⠢⣀
                                           ·⡀         ⠈⠑⠤
                                            ⠈⠓⠦⣀        • Alhena
                                                ⠑⠢⣀
                                                   ⠙⠲⢄⡀
                                                      ⠈⠒⢤⡀
                                                         · Alzir

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 21%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 8.8 degrees. Tejat Posterior, Alhena, Mekbuda, HR 2852 and Pollux
  drift the opposite way to the other 12, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the
  shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Gemini/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Gemini