# minipage across two columns

I am trying to align a graph and its corresponding equations in a \twocolumn environment. The minipage part works as expected when we have one column text. However, when we have it in the twocolumn context they appear one below the other. How can I get it all into one row spanning both columns?

If it was just the figure I would have done \begin{figure*}. Is there something similar for minipage?

\documentclass[twoside]{article}
\begin{document}
\twocolumn[]

\begin{minipage}{.35\textwidth}
\includegraphics[height=2.5in]{graph}
\begin{minipage}{.6\textwidth}
\begin{align}
&\alpha \sim  \, \text{Ga}(a,b)\\
& v_i|\alpha \sim \, \text{Be}(1,\alpha)
\end{align}
\end{minipage}

\end{document}

• Put the minipages into a figure*. – cfr Oct 6 '15 at 0:21
• Please make your code so it will compile. Thanks. – cfr Oct 6 '15 at 0:23

You can just put the minipages into a figure*:

\documentclass[twoside,twocolumn]{article}
\usepackage{graphicx,mathtools,kantlipsum}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure*}
\begin{minipage}{.35\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{example-image-a}