Pollux
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Star
Pollux, designated β Geminorum (Latinised to Beta Geminorum, abbreviated Beta Gem, β Gem), is an orange-hued evolved giant star about 34 light-years from the Sun in the constellation of Gemini. It is the brightest star in Gemini and the closest giant star to the Sun.
Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. In 2006 an extrasolar planet(designated Pollux b or β Geminorum b, later named Thestias) was confirmed to be orbiting it.
Exploration
Pollux was visited in 2109 by a URSS probe that was sent to study it's one and only planet, Thestias, a large gas giant. The planet was unremarkable in appearance and was studied for a few years before it was left largely alone. With the advent of terrashaping, however, the star became more popular due to the construction of a few artificial worlds in orbit of Thestias.