- Crux (Wikipedia)
Crux (/krʌks/) is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way’s visible band. The name Crux is Latin for cross. Even though it is the smallest of all 88 modern constellations, Crux is among the most easily distinguished as its four main stars each have an apparent visual magnitude brighter than +2.8. It has attained a high level of cultural significance in many Southern Hemisphere states and nations.
- Pollux (stars.astro.illinois.edu)
POLLUX (Beta Geminorum). Star with planet. In northern spring evenings, the “twin” stars Castor and Pollux of the constellation Gemini descend the northwestern sky looking like a pair of eyes staring down at the Earth.
- Pollux (star) (Wikipedia)
Pollux is the brightest star in the constellation of Gemini. It has the Bayer designation β Geminorum, which is Latinised to Beta Geminorum and abbreviated Beta Gem or β Gem. This is an orange-hued, evolved red giant located at a distance of 34 light-years, making it the closest red giant (and giant star) to the Sun. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. In 2006 an exoplanet (designated Pollux b or β Geminorum b, later named Thestias) was announced to be orbiting it.
