What month is Gemini best seen?

Gemini Constellation Facts

Gemini Constellation is one of 88 constellations recognised by the International Astronomical Union (I.A.U.). Gemini’s pronunciation is Gem-in-eye. A constellation is a pattern of stars in a recognisable shape that is supposed to resemble an object, animal or person. The representation may be mythical (e.g. Draco) or exist in the real world (e.g. Toucan).

Gemini is a Latin name that in English means «The Twins». The genitive form is Geminorum, which means anything at the end of its name infers a relationship to the constellation. Typically, it is within the boundaries of the constellation or was once until they were redrawn. It can be when referring to the constellation shortened or abbreviated to Gem.

Gemini is one of the many constellations that were created by the Ancient Greco-Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy who lived between 90 A.D. and 168 A.D.

Gemini is a member of the Zodiac group of 12 constellations astrologers use to predict someone’s future based on their date of birth and which constellation appeared when the Sunset. The Zodiac year may be divided equally between the twelve signs, but when they appear in the night sky no longer conforms to the Zodiac calendar. The Zodiac constellations are the thirteen signs that are located along the Ecliptic, although only twelve are used in astrology.

Gemini (Constellation) takes up 513.761 sq. degrees of the night sky, equating to 1.25% of the night sky. Gemini is the 30th largest constellation in terms of size in the night sky. Constellations are not equally sized.

Gemini has 17 stars that make up the constellation. The Hipparcos satellite scanned and detailed one thousand four hundred and forty-six stars. Gemini has 135 stars can be seen with the naked eye on a clear night sky. Naked eye stars are stars which have an apparent magnitude of 6.5 or lower. Any with a higher magnitude can only be seen with a telescope or binoculars.

Gemini is a northern celestial hemisphere constellation. The celestial hemispheres are a projection of the terrestrial hemisphere into the sky. Gemini lies on the Ecliptic, which is different to the Celestial Equator. The Celestial Equator is the projection of the Terrestrial Equator into space. The Ecliptic is the path that the Earth takes around the Sun. The Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.44°, which is why the two differ and why we have seasons. The twelve Zodiac constellations are the constellations that lie on the Ecliptic.

There are fourteen Extrasolar Planets in this constellation, detailed on this site. There is a dedicated page for exoplanets in Gemini.

The current biggest star so far identified in the constellation of Gemini is TV Geminorum.

Charles Messier catalogued one deep-space object(s) within Gemini’s boundary.

This site covers seven non-Messier deep space objects, and the list is below.

The following neighbouring constellations surrounds Gemini :-

Major Constellation Stars

The stars mentioned are from the Hipparcos catalogue or have been added because of their special status. The caveat of these stars is that they are catalogued on this site. If you know of a star that is nearer or further, do let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the site.

Gliese 251, Gemini’s Nearest Star

The nearest star to Earth that is located in the constellation of Gemini is Gliese 251, about 18.22 light-years from the Earth. The nearest star to the Earth with an exoplanet is HD 50554, about 97.57 light-years.

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HD 52961, Gemini’s Furthest Star

The furthest star I have data for and can be located in Gemini is HD 52961, 163,081.70 light-years away from the Sun. The most distant figure is derived from the 1997 or 2007 Hipparcos star catalogue parallax figure and has been known to produce wrong distances.

Pollux, Brightest Star in Gemini

The brightest star in Gemini is Pollux, about 33.79 light-years from the Sun. The star is designated as Beta Geminorum rather than Alpha designation. Alpha stars tend to be the brightest in the constellation. The star has an apparent magnitude of 1.16 but an absolute magnitude of 1.08. The difference between the magnitudes is that absolute magnitude is the object from 10 Parsecs or 32.6 light-years away from the observer, whereas apparent is from Earth.

44 Geminorum, Gemini’s Dimmest Visible Star

The dimmest star you can see in Gemini with the naked eye is 44 Geminorum. The faint star has an apparent magnitude of 6. The dimmest star that a person can see on a clear night with their naked eye is 6.0 magnitude based on the table in the reference. Ref: University of Michigan.

Interesting Fun Facts

Castor is the Alpha star in the Gemini, but it is not the brightest in the constellation. Castor is a multi-star system of at least three stars which, with all the stars together, was able to appear brighter than its twin brother Pollux. Castor represents one of the heads of the twins that this constellation is said to represent.
Although it is the brightest star in the Gemini, it is afforded that title. Castor is instead known as Beta Geminorum. Pollux is a single star compared to Castor. It is a giant star and one with an exoplanet in orbit around the star, something that its brother star doesn’t have, a consolation prize.
Gemini was the name for N.A.S.A. two-man flight project in the earlier sixties (1961-65)

When is Gemini Visible

Northern Hemisphere

London, Great Britain

Gemini is viewable at the beginning of the year in an easterly direction. It can be viewed as early as 6 pm, but it’s probably best to wait until it gets higher in the sky, about 9 pm, with it moving slightly east. For the first three months, it can be seen in a south-easterly direction, gradually getting higher every month. Seeing it earlier as soon as it gets dark when it’s lower down is possible. As the nights get shorter, you need to look later and later, at which time it will be lower on the horizon. From December, it will be visible from 8 pm on the horizon, moving higher as the night progresses.

Miami, United States

Whilst Gemini might be visible before December, the best time to start looking is after November. In December, it will be visible on the horizon as early as 9 pm and move northwards throughout the night until it reaches its highest point at about five a.m. If you can’t wait that late, the beginning of February would be the best time when it’s higher in the sky, about 9-10 pm.

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Southern Hemisphere

Sydney, Australia

Gemini is only visible on the horizon at the beginning of the year when you look for it at about 9 pm, but with the heads missing, it’s best to wait another hour to see them. They stay low on the horizon compared to where they go in the Northern hemisphere. Before they disappear, March and April present the best time to see them in Sydney, Australia.

Darwin, Australia

In Darwin, they can reach higher in the sky, close to the equator. You would need to stay up later. March would be the best time to see them in this location.

Mythology

Zeus seduced Leda, the wife of Tyndareus, whilst as a swan. Helen and Pollux were born from eggs. At the same time, Castor and Clytaemnestra were born, children of Tyndareus. Pollux was the son of a god and an immortal, and he could not die. They grew up as brothers, competing against one another in competitions and the Olympics. During a competition between them and their cousins, Idas and Lynceus, Castor died. Pollux asked Zeus to allow him to die so that he could be with his brother, which Zeus allowed.

Deep Space Objects

Medusa Nebula

Medusa Nebula shares its name with the mythical Medusa, the Gorgon with snakes for hair who could turn a person to stone by looking at them. It is the remnants of a dead star that had come to the end of its life but wasn’t large enough to go out in a Supernova explosion. Eventually, the cloud and gas will disperse, leaving just a White Dwarf as the only sign that a star existed there.

Jellyfish Nebula

Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443) is the dead remnant of a large star that came to the end of its life. At the centre of the nebula would be a neutron star or even a Pulsar. The gas and dust will disperse, leaving the neutron star as the only evidence that a star once existed there.

Messier 35

Messier 35 is an Open Star Cluster catalogued by Charles Messier when he surveyed the skies. Philippe Loys de Cheseaux discovered the cluster in 1745. It is not the only star cluster in the Gemini constellation. There is also NGC 2158. On a clear night, you can see the Messier 35, but you won’t be able to appreciate the individual stars in the cluster.

Geminids Meteor Shower

The Geminids are one of the more spectacular meteor showers of the year. They occur at the end of the year, peaking about the 13/14th of December. What makes them interesting is that they are multi-coloured rather than all just one colour.

The radiant point for the meteorites is near Castor, the Alpha star in the Gemini constellation but not the brightest. The star signifies the right head of the twins. Castor is a multiple star system that, when you view closely, you will see it is not just one but a couple of stars.

Whilst meteor showers are associated with comets, this one is associated with an asteroid which was once believed to be a comet but lost all its dust and ice. The asteroid Phaethon orbits closest to the Sun than any other asteroid and has an orbit of roughly 524 days.

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Gemini Star Map

The image showing Gemini was generated using Night Vision, a free-to-use and download application by Brian Simpson. As all the stars in the Milky Way revolve around the Sagittarius A*, the Supermassive Black Hole at the centre of our galaxy at different speeds and distances, in the future, the constellation will not look like it does today. When talking future, we are talking about hundreds of thousands and millions of years.

Gemini’s Distance From Earth

You can’t just go to one location and arrive at Gemini because the constellation is made up of stars at different positions and distances. The nearest main star (Pollux) in the constellation is at a distance of 33.79 light-years, and the furthest main star is 35 Geminorum, at a distance of 1,763.05 light-years. The average distance to the major stars is 388.34 light years. Main stars refer to the stars that make up the constellation outline.

Because of the distances of objects, we see how they looked in the past. To know how far back we are looking, take the distance and remove the word «Light», and you will get an idea of how long ago they looked like that. By now, the object may look different.

Gemini, The Twins Facts

Name	Gemini
Abbreviation	Gem
Zodiac Sign	Yes
Area	513.761 sq. deg.
Night Sky	1.25%
Size Position	30th
Celestial Hemisphere	North
Meteor Shower(s)	11
Nearest Star	Gliese 251
. with Exoplanet(s)	HD 50554
Largest Star	TV Geminorum
Brightest Star	Pollux
Dimmest Star	44 Geminorum
Furthest Star	HD 52961
Bright Star Count	135
Hipp. Star Count	1446
Main Star Count	17
Messier D.S.O. Count	1
Lists	Deep Space Objects
Exoplanets
Meteor Showers
Stars
Main Stars	Castor
Pollux
Alhena
Wasat
Mebsuta
Mekbuda
Propus
Theta Geminorum
Iota Geminorum
Al Kirkab
Lambda Geminorum
Tejat
Nu Geminorum
Alzirr
Tau Geminorum
Upsilon Geminorum
35 Geminorum
Modified Date	29th April 2023

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Gemini Season

Well, Aries season was intense. right?! It’s time for a breath of fresh air, Gemini Season! Gemini season began on the 21st of May and will last until the 21st of June. Gemini is an air-sign, hence the phrase ‘breath of fresh air’, the twins are known for their ability to trade information, inspiration and capture content like no other and this Gemini season, it’s time to air ourselves out, meet new people, exchange ideas and get clear on our message. Those born during Gemini season have specific strengths, such as being tender, obtrusive, curious, accessible, with the capability to learn novel things and quickly sharing it, but they also have their weaknesses, such as being nervous, incoherent and irresolute. Gemini’s have been given the stigma of being ‘two-faced’ due to their ability to adapt to different social groups depending on the vibe that they get, this makes them popular with any type of person but this can also seem as though they change around others.

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In Babylonian astronomy, the two main stars that form the Gemini constellation, Castor and Pollux were known as the Great Twins. The twins were young, handsome and adventurous. In Greek Mythology, Pollux is immortal, and when his brother Castor dies, Pollux is devasated. He begs his father, Zeus, to help him die so that he can be with his brother. Zeus decides that rather than killing Pollux, he would make Castor immortak too so that the two of them could live together forever as the constellation Gemini.

Gemini is visible along the Eastern horizon in mid-August in the morning before sunrise. The best time to observe Gemini at night is overhead during the months of January and February. By April and May, the constellation will be visible soon after sunset in the west. You can choise Gemini as your constellation when you are naming a star on our Star-Name-Registry website! Your name a star will be visible on our star register within 24 hours from ordering via our official star registration form.

Aquarids Meteor Shower

The Eta Aquarids are an annual occurance in the night sky that can occur at any time between April and May. The shower started on April 19th and can be observable till May 28th 2019 and one meteor was spotted by Mark Statham on his CCTV camera. Mark was watching the footage from his surveillance camera and spotted a big light flash of which he though was due to a firework going off at first, but the more he watched, he suspected that this was an object from outere space! He sent it over to the UK Meteor Network who confirmed that it was indeed, a meteor!

Meteor’s cause a big flash or streak when they enter the earth’s atmosphere as the friction causes them to heat up and eventually burn out.

Starlink Mission

On Thursday, May 23rd, Space X Launced 60 Starlink satellites into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. You can click here to watch the launch video. SpaceX’s Starlink is a next-generation satellite network capable of connecting the globe, especially reaching those who are not yet connected, with reliable and affordable broadband internet services.

Planets Visible in the Night Sky in The Gemini, Queensland, Australia

In the days around May 22–23, the Moon will glide past Venus and Mars in the sky.

Select object

* Event happens next day

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Beta The Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above The Gemini on a date of your choice. Use it to locate a planet, the Moon, or the Sun and track their movements across the sky. The map also shows the phases of the Moon, and all solar and lunar eclipses. Need some help?

The animation is not supported by your device/browser.

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View before sunrise. Use binoculars.

Neptune can best be seen in the hours just before sunrise. Visibility deteriorates as the sky gets brighter. Very faint, use binoculars.

8 May 2023
9 May 2023

Planets Visible in The Gemini

Planetrise/Planetset, Tue, 9 May 2023
Planet	Rise	Set	Meridian	Comment
Mercury	Tue 05:34	Tue 16:54	Tue 11:14	Extremely difficult to see
Venus	Mon 09:43	Mon 20:15	Mon 14:59	Good visibility
Mars	Mon 11:15	Mon 21:58	Mon 16:37	Average visibility
Jupiter	Tue 04:54	Tue 16:25	Tue 10:39	Average visibility
Saturn	Tue 01:07	Tue 13:46	Tue 07:27	Average visibility
Uranus	Mon 06:30	Mon 17:35	Mon 12:03	Very close to Sun, not visible
Neptune	Tue 02:39	Tue 14:49	Tue 08:44	Very difficult to see

Planet Sizes and Order

How large are the planets and what is their order from the Sun?

Distance, Brightness, and Apparent Size of Planets

See how far the planets are from the Sun or Earth, how bright they look, and their apparent size in the sky.

Moon Phase Chart

Moon phases visualized in real time, the past, or the future.

Meteor Showers

Dates and tips on how and where to see «shooting stars» from meteor showers all over the world.

What Is a Conjunction?

A conjunction is when planets like Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn, or other bodies like stars or the Moon, meet in the sky. Why and when do conjunctions happen?

What Are Comets?

Comets are small celestial bodies that orbit the Sun. Primarily made of dust and ice, many have a tail (coma) and are thought to be remnants of the formation of the Solar System.

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