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Description

Thirty Eighth in my Constellations series of stamps

The Constellation Gemini is one of the Zodiac constellations, one of Ptolemy's 48 Constellations and one of the 88 modern Constellation. It represents the Discouri, twin brothers Castor and Polydeuces (Pollox) in Greek Mythology. When Castor died, Polydeuces begged his father Zeus to give his brother immortality; Zeus decided to place the brothers in the sky together. The Constellation's two brightest stars are named after the twins; Pollux has a planet orbiting it named Thestias, an alternate name for Leda, which was the original submitted name for the planet. Thestias was instead the subsitute name, and a reference to Thestius who was Leda's father in Greek Mythology. The other star, Castor, is actually a star system consisting of six stars, made up of three binary stars. Due to the fact the Milky Way doesn't run through Gemini, there are a few Deep Sky objects. M35 and NCG 2158 are open clusters. The Eskimo Nebula and Medusa Nebula are planetary nebulas that lies within Gemini

Description

Thirty Eighth in my Constellations series of stamps

The Constellation Gemini is one of the Zodiac constellations, one of Ptolemy's 48 Constellations and one of the 88 modern Constellation. It represents the Discouri, twin brothers Castor and Polydeuces (Pollox) in Greek Mythology. When Castor died, Polydeuces begged his father Zeus to give his brother immortality; Zeus decided to place the brothers in the sky together. The Constellation's two brightest stars are named after the twins; Pollux has a planet orbiting it named Thestias, an alternate name for Leda, which was the original submitted name for the planet. Thestias was instead the subsitute name, and a reference to Thestius who was Leda's father in Greek Mythology. The other star, Castor, is actually a star system consisting of six stars, made up of three binary stars. Due to the fact the Milky Way doesn't run through Gemini, there are a few Deep Sky objects. M35 and NCG 2158 are open clusters. The Eskimo Nebula and Medusa Nebula are planetary nebulas that lies within Gemini