R Geminorum

R Geminorum (R Gem) is a Mira variable and technetium star in the constellation Gemini. When at maximum light its apparent visual magnitude usually is between 6 and 7, while at minimum light it is typically near magnitude 14. It is located approximately 575 parsecs (1,880 ly) away.

It is one of the brightest known examples of an S-type star, a type that is similar to M-type star, but whose spectra shows zirconium oxide, yttrium oxide and technetium. These exotic elements are formed in the star's core. Technetium has a half-life of just 4.2 million years, so it must have been brought up from the core relatively recently. R Gem has an unusual amount of it, even for an S-type star.