Arcturus vs Pollux
Embed This Widget
Add the script tag and a data attribute to embed this widget.
Embed via iframe for maximum compatibility.
<iframe src="https://starfyi.com/iframe/entity//" width="420" height="400" frameborder="0" style="border:0;border-radius:10px;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>Paste this URL in WordPress, Medium, or any oEmbed-compatible platform.
https://starfyi.com/entity//Add a dynamic SVG badge to your README or docs.
[](https://starfyi.com/entity//)Use the native HTML custom element.
| Property | Arcturus | Pollux |
|---|---|---|
| Designation | 16Alp Boo | 78Bet Gem |
| Constellation | N/A | Gemini |
| Spectral Class | Class K — K-type (Orange) | Class K — K-type (Orange) |
| Apparent Magnitude | -0.05 | +1.16 |
| Absolute Magnitude | -0.31 | 1.08 |
| Distance | 36.7 ly | 33.8 ly |
| Mass | N/A | N/A |
| Radius | N/A | N/A |
| Temperature | N/A | N/A |
| Luminosity | N/A | N/A |
Key Differences
- ◆ Both are K-type giant stars, but Arcturus is in the northern hemisphere's highlight and Pollux is in Gemini.
- ◆ Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern sky at magnitude −0.05; Pollux is the nearest giant star at ~34 ly.
- ◆ Pollux hosts a confirmed exoplanet (Thestias); Arcturus has no known planetary companions.
- ◆ Arcturus has an unusually high proper motion suggesting an unusual galactic orbit.
- ◆ Arcturus is about 170 times more luminous than the Sun; Pollux is about 33 times more luminous.