You're right to think that Deneb is much brighter than Pollux. However, it's important to distinguish between *apparent brightness* and *intrinsic brightness*.

Here's the breakdown:

* Apparent Brightness: This is how bright a star appears to us from Earth. Deneb appears much brighter than Pollux in the night sky. This is partly due to its distance. Deneb is much farther away than Pollux, but its intrinsic brightness is so high that it still appears bright to us.

* Intrinsic Brightness (Luminosity): This refers to the actual amount of light a star emits. While Deneb appears brighter, Pollux is actually much more luminous. This means it emits more light energy than Deneb.

Here's why the difference:

* Distance: Deneb is roughly 1,400 light-years away, while Pollux is about 34 light-years away. The vast distance to Deneb reduces its apparent brightness significantly.

* Luminosity: Deneb is a massive blue supergiant star, much hotter and larger than Pollux, making it intrinsically brighter. However, Pollux is an orange giant, still considerably brighter than our sun.

In essence, Deneb appears brighter from Earth due to its intense luminosity, even though its great distance reduces its apparent brightness. Conversely, Pollux appears dimmer despite its higher luminosity due to its closer proximity to Earth.