The zodiac Gemini is most commonly associated with astrology. But there’s more to this constellation than just fortune-telling! Both legends and science have their own associations with Gemini, and many Geminis have also earned their own places in history. Learn more with these 50 Gemini facts!
- 01Seventeen stars traditionally make up the constellation of Gemini.
- 02Modern astronomers have since discovered that Gemini actually includes 85 stars.
- 03They have also discovered that eight of Gemini’s stars have planets orbiting them.
- 04Pollux makes up the brightest star in Gemini, with a magnitude of 1.14.
- 05Astrologers associate Gemini with people born between May 21 and June 21.
The modern constellation of Gemini has its roots in a Greek legend.
Specifically, to the myth of Castor and Pollux, the twin children of Queen Leda of Sparta. Leda slept with both Zeus and her husband, King Tyndareus of Sparta, at different times on the same night. Castor had the king as his father, while Pollux had Zeus as his.
Despite their differences, Castor and Pollux grew up very close with each other. So much so that when Castor died, Pollux pleaded to his father to bring him back. Zeus initially refused, instead offering Pollux immortality and a place with the gods at Olympus. Castor refused Zeus’ offer, and once again asked his father to return his brother instead. Zeus finally relented, reuniting Castor and Pollux together in the heavens as the constellation of Gemini.
The Babylonians had a different version of Gemini.
They called the stars the Great Twins but saw the constellation as two versions of the same god. They named the twins Lugal-irra, meaning “The Mighty King”, and Meslamta-ea, meaning “The One Who Has Arisen from the Underworld”. The Babylonians also saw both gods as aspects of Nergal, the god of plague, and husband of Ereshkigal, goddess of the dead.
The twins stood guard at the gates of the Underworld, keeping the dead from the living and the living from the dead. This led the twins to also become worshiped as guardian gods of gates, doors, and passageways across Mesopotamia.