![Gemini, illumination from a Book of Hours, Italian, c. 1475; in the Pierpont Morgan Library, …[Credits : Courtesy of the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, the Glazier Collection]](http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/72/772-003-C323B49E.gif)
(Latin: “Twins”), in astronomy, zodiacal constellation lying between Cancer and Taurus, at about 7 hours right ascension (the coordinate of the celestial sphere analogous to longitude on the Earth) and 22° north declination (angular distance north of the celestial equator). Its brightest stars are Castor and Pollux (Alpha and Beta Geminorum), Pollux being the brighter of the two. The summer solstice, the northernmost point reached by the Sun in its annual apparent journey among the stars, lies in Gemini.
In astrology, Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac, considered as governing the period c. May 21–c. June 21. It is represented by a set of twins (in Egyptian astrology by a pair of goats and in Arabian astrology by a pair of peacocks). In addition to their identification as Castor and Pollux, the twins have also been related to other celebrated pairs, such as the younger and older Horus, or Romulus and Remus.
Link to this article and share the full text with the readers of your Web site or blog-post.
If you think a reference to this article on "Gemini (constellation)" will enhance your Web site,
blog-post, or any other web-content, then feel free to link to this article,
and your readers will gain full access to the full article, even if they do not subscribe to our service.
You may want to use the HTML code fragment provided below.
We welcome your comments. Any revisions or updates suggested for this article will be reviewed by our editorial staff. Contact us here.
Regular users of Britannica may notice that this comments feature is less robust than in the past. This is only temporary, while we make the transition to a dramatically new and richer site. The functionality of the system will be restored soon.