Return to Scale View
About News Create With Us
Return to Scale View

How big is Pollux?

Pollux is 2,700,000 kilometer

An Introduction to the Giant Star, Pollux

Have you ever gazed up at the night sky and wondered about the stars twinkling above you? Among the countless stars, there’s one named Pollux that stands out. Pollux, also known as Beta Geminorum or β Gem, is the brightest star in the constellation of Gemini, one of the 88 constellations that astronomers recognize. This orange-hued star is an evolved giant and is closer to the Sun than any other giant star.

The Size of Pollux

Pollux is incredibly large, much bigger than our Sun. In terms of comparison, if our Sun was the size of a grapefruit, Pollux would be about the size of a basketball! That’s approximately 9 times the size of the Sun. Imagine nine Suns lined up side by side, and you’ll get a sense of just how big Pollux is.

A Closer Look at Pollux’s Size Comparisons

  • Pollux is about 9 times larger than our Sun.
  • If our Sun was a grapefruit, Pollux would be a basketball. - Compared to Earth, Pollux is about 1.8 million times larger. If Earth were the size of a marble, Pollux would be the size of a hot air balloon!

Interesting Facts About Pollux

Pollux is not just interesting because of its size. There’s more to this giant star than meets the eye.

  • Pollux has an extrasolar planet orbiting it. This planet, named Thestias, was confirmed in 2006. That means Pollux is the sun of its own solar system! - The light we see from Pollux actually left the star 34 years ago. That’s because it’s located 34 light years away from us. This means when we’re looking at Pollux, we’re actually seeing how it looked 34 years in the past. - Since 1943, the spectrum of Pollux has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. This makes Pollux very important in the field of astronomy. So the next time you look up at the night sky and spot Pollux, remember, you’re not just looking at a star. You’re gazing at a giant that’s millions of times larger than our planet and serves as a guiding light in the field of astronomy. Isn’t that amazing?
Smaller By Category
Sirius A
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. It is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the second brightest star. However, Sirius is not a large star. It only appears bright because it is close to us, at only eight light-years away.
Alpha Centauri A
Alpha Centauri A is the largest star of the Alpha Centauri star system (composed of three stars), which is the closest star system to us. It is also the fourth brightest star in the night sky.
Sun
Also known as Sol, the Sun is what gives Earth the energy that makes it able to have life. The Sun is over 100 times larger in diameter than Earth! 20,000 times more solar energy hits the Earth than the human race uses.
Larger By Category
Procyon
Did you know that over the next 10 million years, Procyon will grow to 100 times its current diameter and become red? This is because Procyon's hydrogen is now all helium. The Sun will do the same thing in a couple billion years.
Altair
Altair is one of the three stars in the Summer Triangle. The Summer Triangle is an acute triangle, which means that all the angles are less than 90°! The other two are Vega and Deneb. Like many other stars, Altair spins very quickly, bulging at the center!
Vega
Vega is found in the Lyra constellation. It is also part of the Summer Triangle, composed of Vega, Altair, and Deneb. Vega spins so quickly it bulges. However, we see it pole-on, so it looks circular.