![[Systems]](../images/systems_sm_off.png)
In Greek myth, Castor and Pollux were both born to Leda, princess of Aetolia, as twins. However, in true Greek fashion, the whole situation was much more complex than it originally seems. According to legend, Leda was so beautiful that she commanded the attentions of Zeus. However, she was promised in marriage to Tyndareos, ruler of Sparta. On her wedding night, Zeus disguised himself as a swan and seduced the young princess. However, as is tradition, later that night, she received the attentions of her new husband, as well. As a result of this very messy state of affairs, she bore four children in two pairs of twins, each pair arriving closed within eggs. (I told you this was complex!) Pollux and Clytemnestra, born of Leda and Zeus, were one pair; Castor and Helen, born of Leda and Tyndareos, were the other.
Castor grew up to be quite the soldier, a horseman of the finest degree.He joined the Argonauts in their search for the Golden Fleece, accompanied by his brother, Pollux; they became quite the stars among the sailors. Their exploits led them to become the patrons of Greek seafarers, who would carve their likenesses on the bows of their ships.
Castor is one of the most interesting star systems in the sky.In the early 17th century, it became the first double star recognized, observed by James Bradley of England, and prompted Sir William Herschel himself to coin the word "binary" to describe its gravitationally bound components. Recently, it has been discovered that each component may be itself a contact binary--two stars which orbit so close together that their surfaces actually touch--and that a nearby star, YY Geminorum, may also be gravitationally bound to the system. YY Geminorum, by the way, is also a double--two K-class red dwarfs that complete one orbit every 19.5 hours. Yes, YY Geminorum is likely also a contact binary.
Castor provides services such as WWW, FTP, and telnet for external use. This is the main gateway through which the AE0LIS Constellation interacts with the Internet.
