Aldebaran
 The position of Aldebaran in the Taurus constellation. |
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| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 |
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|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Pronunciation | /ælˈdɛbərən/ |
| Right ascension | 04h 35m 55.23907s |
| Declination | +16° 30′ 33.4885″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 0.86 (0.75-0.95) |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | Giant star |
| Spectral type | K5 III |
| Apparent magnitude (J) | −2.095 |
| U−B color index | +1.92 |
| B−V color index | +1.44 |
| Variable type | LB |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | +54.26±0.03 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) |
RA: 63.45±0.84 mas/yr Dec.: −189.94±0.65 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 49.97 ± 0.75mas |
| Distance | 65.3 ± 1.0 ly (20.0 ± 0.3 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −0.641±0.034 |
| Details | |
| Mass | 1.5±0.3 M☉ |
| Radius | 44.2±0.9 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 518±32 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 1.59 cgs |
| Temperature | 3,910 K |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | –0.34 dex |
| Rotation | 643 days |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
| ARICNS | data |
Aldebaran, designated Alpha Tauri (α Tauri, abbreviated Alpha Tau, α Tau), is an orange giant star located about 65 light years from the Sun in the zodiac constellation of Taurus. It is the brightest star in its constellation and usually the fourteenth-brightest star in the nighttime sky, though it varies slowly in brightness between magnitude 0.75 and 0.95. It is likely that Aldebaran hosts a planet several times the size of Jupiter.
The planetary exploration probe Pioneer 10 is currently heading in the general direction of the star and should make its closest approach in about two million years.
Alpha Tauri is the star's Bayer designation. The name Aldebaran is Arabic ( al-dabarān) and means "the Follower", presumably because it rises near and soon after the Pleiades. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included Aldebaran for this star. It is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.
In Persia it was known as Tascheter.
The Romans called it Palilicium.
In the Middle Ages it was sometimes called Cor Tauri (the Heart of the Bull/Taurus).
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