View source for Aldebaran

{{Short description|Star in the constellation Taurus}}
{{hatnote group|
{{other uses}}
{{distinguish|Alderaan|A Tauri}}
}}
{{Redirect|Alpha Tauri||AlphaTauri (disambiguation){{!}}AlphaTauri}}
{{Starbox begin}}
{{Starbox image
 | image=
   {{Location mark
     | image=Taurus constellation map.svg
     | float=center | width=250 | position=right
     | mark=Red circle.svg | mark_width=10 | mark_link=Aldebaran (star)
     | x%=49.9 | y%=54.3
   }}
 | caption=Location of Aldebaran (circled)
}}
{{Starbox observe 2s
| epoch = [[J2000.0]]
| constell = [[Taurus (constellation)|Taurus]]
| pronounce = {{IPAc-en|æ|l|ˈ|d|ɛ|b|ər|ə|n|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Aldebaran.wav}}<ref name=pronounce1/><ref name=pronounce2/>
| component1 = α Tauri A 
| ra1={{RA|04|35|55.23907}}<ref name=hipparcos/>
| dec1 = {{DEC|+16|30|33.4885}}<ref name=hipparcos/>
| appmag_v1 = 0.75–0.95<ref name=gcvs/>
| component2 = α Tauri B
| ra2 = {{RA|04|35|57.24674}}<ref name=DR3b/>
| dec2 = {{RA|+16|30|21.3433}}<ref name=DR3b/>
| appmag_v2 = 13.21<ref name=NEA/>
}}
{{Starbox character
| component1 = α Tauri A
| type=[[Red giant branch]]<ref name=stock/>
| class = K5+ III<ref name=perkins/>
| appmag_1_passband = [[J band (infrared)|J]]
| appmag_1 = −2.095<ref name=2mass/>
| b-v = +1.44<ref name=ducati/>
| u-b = +1.92<ref name=ducati/>
| variable = [[Slow irregular variable|LB]]<ref name=gcvs/>
| component2 = α Tauri B
| type2 = [[Main sequence]]<ref name=Montes2018/>
| class2=M2.5<ref name=bidelman/>
}}
{{Starbox astrometry
| component1 = α Tauri A
| radial_v = {{val|+54.26|0.03}}<ref name=rv/>
| prop_mo_ra = {{val|63.45}}
| prop_mo_dec = {{val|−188.94}}
| pm_footnote = <ref name=hipparcos/>
| parallax = 48.94
| p_error = 0.77
| parallax_footnote = <ref name=hipparcos/>
| absmag_v = {{val|−0.641|0.034}}<ref name="Gatewood2008"/>
| component2 = α Tauri B
| prop_mo_ra2 = {{Val|+58.919}}
| prop_mo_dec2 = {{Val|-198.841}}
| pm_footnote2 = <ref name=DR3b/>
| parallax2 = 47.2526
| p_error2 = 0.0964
| parallax_footnote2 = <ref name=DR3b/>
}}
{{Starbox detail
| component1 = α Tauri A
| mass = {{val|1.16|0.07}}<ref name="Farr2018"/>
| radius = {{val|45.1|0.1}}<ref name=hatzes/>
| luminosity = {{val|439|17}}<ref name=heiter/>
| temperature = {{val|3,900|50|fmt=commas}}<ref name=strassmeier/>
| gravity = {{val|1.45|0.3}}<ref name=strassmeier/>
| metal_fe = {{val|-0.33|0.1}}<ref name=strassmeier/>
| rotation = 520&nbsp;days<ref name=hatzes/>
| rotational_velocity = {{val|3.5|1.5}}<ref name=strassmeier/>
| age_gyr = {{val|6.4|1.4|1.1}}<ref name="Farr2018"/>
| component2 = α Tauri B
| mass2 = {{Val|0.400|0.084}}<ref name=tic/>
| radius2 = {{Val|0.347|0.039}}<ref name=tic/>
| temperature2 = {{Val|3398|89.5|fmt=commas}}<ref name=tic/>
| gravity2 = {{Val|4.96|0.17}}<ref name=tic/>
}}
{{Starbox catalog
| names = {{odlist | name=Aldebaran | B=Alpha Tau, α Tau | F=87&nbsp;Tauri | BD=+16°629 | GJ=171.1 | GJ2=9159 | HD=29139 | HIP=21421 | HR=1457 | SAO=94027 }}
}}
{{Starbox reference
| Simbad = HD+29139 |sn=Aldebaran
| Simbad2 = alf+Tau+B |sn2=B
| NSTED = Aldebaran
| ARICNS = 00382 |an=Aldebaran
| ARICNS2 = 00383 |an2=B
}}
{{Starbox end}}

'''Aldebaran''' ({{langx|ar|الدَّبَران|lit=The Follower}}) is a [[star]] in the [[zodiac]] [[constellation]] of [[Taurus (constellation)|Taurus]]. It has the [[Bayer designation]] '''α&nbsp;Tauri''', which is [[Latinisation of names|Latinized]] to '''Alpha Tauri''' and abbreviated Alpha Tau or α&nbsp;Tau. Aldebaran varies in brightness from an [[apparent visual magnitude]] of 0.75 down to 0.95, making it the brightest star in the constellation, as well as (typically) the [[list of brightest stars|fourteenth-brightest star]] in the night sky. It is at a distance of approximately 67 [[light-year]]s. The star lies along the line of sight to the nearby [[Hyades (star cluster)|Hyades cluster]], but is unrelated and much older than the young cluster.

Aldebaran is a [[red giant]], meaning that it is cooler than the Sun with a surface temperature of {{val|3,900|fmt=commas|ul=K}}, but its radius is about 45 times [[solar radius|the Sun's]], so it is over 400 times as [[solar luminosity|luminous]]. As a [[giant star]], it has [[Stellar evolution|moved off]] the [[main sequence]] on the [[Hertzsprung–Russell diagram]] after depleting its supply of hydrogen in the [[Stellar core|core]]. The star spins slowly and takes 520 days to complete a rotation.

Together with the star Alpha Tauri B (Aldebaran B), it makes a [[star system]] with an orbital separation of at least 680 [[astronomical unit]]s, or 680 times the average distance from Earth to the Sun. The companion has an apparent magnitude of 13.21, hence is 80,000 to 96,000 times fainter than Aldebaran.

==Nomenclature==
[[File:TaurusCC.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation of Taurus (center).]]
The traditional name Aldebaran derives from the Arabic {{Transliteration|ar|al Dabarān}} ({{lang|ar|الدبران}}), meaning {{gloss|the follower}}, because it seems to follow the [[Pleiades]].<ref name=mythology2011/><ref name=allen/>  In 2016, the [[International Astronomical Union]] [[IAU Working Group on Star Names|Working Group on Star Names]] (WGSN) approved the proper name ''Aldebaran'' for this star.<ref name="IAU-CSN"/><ref name="WGSN"/>

Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus, with the [[Bayer designation]] α&nbsp;Tauri, Latinised as Alpha Tauri. It has the [[Flamsteed designation]] 87 Tauri as the 87th star in the constellation of approximately 7th magnitude or brighter, ordered by [[right ascension]]. It also has the [[Bright Star Catalogue]] number 1457, the [[Henry Draper Catalogue|HD]] number 29139, and the [[Hipparcos]] catalogue number 21421, mostly seen in scientific publications.

It is a variable star listed in the [[General Catalogue of Variable Stars]], but it is listed using its Bayer designation and does not have a separate [[variable star designation]].<ref name=gcvs/>

Aldebaran and several nearby stars are included in double star catalogues such as the [[Washington Double Star Catalog]] as WDS&nbsp;04359+1631 and the [[Aitken Double Star Catalogue]] as ADS&nbsp;3321. It was included with an 11th-magnitude companion as a double star as H&nbsp;IV&nbsp;66 in the [[Herschel Catalogue of Double Stars]] and Σ&nbsp;II&nbsp;2 in the [[Struve Double Star Catalog]], and together with a 14th-magnitude star as β&nbsp;550 in the [[Burnham Double Star Catalogue]].<ref name=burnham1900/><ref name=WDSC2014/>

{{Clear left}}

==Observation==
[[File:Iades and Pleiades (32446251210).jpg|thumb|left|Aldebaran in the [[Hyades (star cluster)|Hyades]]]]
Aldebaran is one of the easiest stars to find in the [[night sky]], partly due to its brightness and partly due to being near one of the more noticeable [[asterism (astronomy)|asterisms]] in the sky. Following the three stars of [[Orion's Belt|Orion's belt]] in the direction opposite to [[Sirius]], the first bright star encountered is Aldebaran.<ref name=dickinson>{{cite book|author=Terence Dickinson|title=NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BaMBgoKPmjAC&pg=PA56|year=1998|publisher=Firefly Books|isbn=978-1-55209-302-3|pages=56–|access-date=2019-05-09|archive-date=2023-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115024322/https://books.google.com/books?id=BaMBgoKPmjAC&pg=PA56|url-status=live}}</ref>
It is best seen at midnight between late November and early December.

The star is, by chance, in the line of sight between the Earth and the [[Hyades (star cluster)|Hyades]], so it has the appearance of being the brightest member of the [[open cluster]], but the cluster that forms the bull's-head-shaped asterism is more than twice as far away, at about 150 light years.<ref name=ridpath>{{cite book|author=Ian Ridpath|title=The Monthly Sky Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UFQIutJ8GSsC&pg=PA55|date=28 May 2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-139-43719-6|pages=55–|access-date=9 May 2019|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115024322/https://books.google.com/books?id=UFQIutJ8GSsC&pg=PA55|url-status=live}}</ref>

Aldebaran is 5.47 degrees south of the [[ecliptic]] and so can be [[Occultation|occulted]] by the [[Moon]]. Such occultations occur when the Moon's [[ascending node]] is near the [[equinox (celestial coordinates)|autumnal equinox]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.space.com/30467-moon-hits-aldebaran-star-bulls-eye-tonight.html |title=The Moon Hits a Cosmic Bull's Eye Tonight: How to See It |website=Space.com |author=Joe Rao |date=2015-09-04 |access-date=2020-06-09 |archive-date=2020-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609153432/https://www.space.com/30467-moon-hits-aldebaran-star-bulls-eye-tonight.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A series of 49 occultations occurred starting on 29 January 2015 and ending at 3 September 2018.<ref name=konnen/> Each event was visible from points in the [[Northern Hemisphere|northern hemisphere]] or close to the [[equator]]. People further south, in Australia or Southern Africa  for example, can never observe occultations of Aldebaran because of parallax. The change in position of the Moon relative to the stars due to the effect of parallax means that Aldebaran is too far south of the ecliptic for occultations to be observed. A reasonably accurate estimate for the diameter of Aldebaran was obtained during the occultation of 22 September 1978.<ref name=white/> In the 2020s, Aldebaran is in [[Conjunction (astronomy and astrology)|conjunction in ecliptic longitude]] with the sun around May 30 of each year.<ref name="LASCO"/>

With a near-[[infrared]] [[J band (infrared)|J band]] [[Magnitude (astronomy)|magnitude]] of −2.1, only [[Betelgeuse]] (−2.9), [[R Doradus]] (−2.6), and [[Arcturus]] (−2.2) are brighter at that wavelength.<ref name=2mass/>

==Observational history==
[[File:Moon occults Aldebaran.png|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Occultation of Aldebaran by the [[Moon]]. Aldebaran is the red dot to the right, barely visible in the thumbnail.]]
On 11 March AD&nbsp;509, a lunar [[occultation]] of Aldebaran was observed in [[Athens]].<ref name=lynn/> English astronomer [[Edmund Halley]] studied the timing of this event, and in 1718 concluded that Aldebaran must have changed position since that time, moving several minutes of arc further to the north. This, as well as observations of the changing positions of stars [[Sirius]] and [[Arcturus]], led to the discovery of [[proper motion]]. Based on present day observations, the position of Aldebaran has shifted 7′ in the last 2000 years; roughly a quarter the diameter of the [[full moon]].<ref name=halley/><ref name=burnham/>  Due to [[precession of the equinoxes]], 5,000 years ago the [[Equinox (celestial coordinates)|vernal equinox]] was close to Aldebaran.<ref name=marduk/> Between 420,000 and 210,000 years ago, Aldebaran [[historical brightest stars|was the brightest star]] in the night sky,<ref name=tomkin1998>{{cite journal|last=Tomkin|first=Jocelyn|date=April 1998|title=Once and Future Celestial Kings|journal=Sky and Telescope|volume=95|issue=4|pages=59–63|bibcode=1998S&T....95d..59T}} – based on computations from [[HIPPARCOS]] data. (The calculations exclude stars whose distance or [[proper motion]] is uncertain.) [ftp://tlgleonid.asuscomm.com/HITACHI/BOOK_ASTRO/S&T/SkyandTelescope_1998%20-%20astronomy/04/199804059063.pdf PDF]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> peaking in brightness 320,000 years ago with an apparent magnitude of {{val|-1.54}}.<ref name=tomkin1998 />

English astronomer [[William Herschel]] discovered a faint companion to Aldebaran in 1782;<ref name=CD/> an 11th-magnitude star at an [[angular separation]] of 117[[arc second|″]]. This star was shown to be itself a close [[double star]] by [[Sherburne Wesley Burnham|S. W. Burnham]] in 1888, and he discovered an additional 14th-magnitude companion at an angular separation of 31″. Follow-on measurements of proper motion showed that Herschel's companion was diverging from Aldebaran, and hence they were not physically connected. However, the companion discovered by Burnham had almost exactly the same proper motion as Aldebaran, suggesting that the two formed a wide [[binary star]] system.<ref name=gore/>

Working at his private observatory in [[Tulse Hill]], [[England]], in 1864 [[William Huggins]] performed the first studies of the spectrum of Aldebaran, where he was able to identify the lines of nine elements, including [[iron]], [[sodium]], [[calcium]], and [[magnesium]]. In 1886, [[Edward Charles Pickering|Edward C. Pickering]] at the [[Harvard College Observatory]] used a photographic plate to capture fifty [[absorption line]]s in the spectrum of Aldebaran. This became part of the [[Henry Draper Catalogue|Draper Catalogue]], published in 1890. By 1887, the photographic technique had improved to the point that it was possible to measure a star's [[radial velocity]] from the amount of [[Doppler shift]] in the spectrum. By this means, the recession velocity of Aldebaran was estimated as {{nowrap|30 miles per second}} (48&nbsp;km/s), using measurements performed at [[Potsdam Observatory]] by [[Hermann Carl Vogel|Hermann C. Vogel]] and his assistant [[Julius Scheiner]].<ref name=clerke/>

Aldebaran was observed using an interferometer attached to the [[Hooker Telescope]] at the [[Mount Wilson Observatory]] in 1921 in order to measure its [[angular diameter]], but it was not resolved in these observations.<ref name=pease/>

The extensive history of observations of Aldebaran led to it being included in the list of 33 stars chosen as benchmarks for the [[Gaia mission]] to calibrate derived stellar parameters.<ref name=sahldoldt/>  It had previously been used to calibrate instruments on board the [[Hubble Space Telescope]].<ref name=heiter/>

==Physical characteristics==
[[File:Aldebaran-Sun comparison-en.svg|thumb|left|upright=1.0|Size comparison between Aldebaran and the [[Sun]]]]

Aldebaran is listed as the [[stellar classification|spectral standard]] for [[K-type giant|type K5+ III stars]].<ref name=perkins/> Its spectrum shows that it is a [[giant star]] that has evolved off the [[main sequence]] band of the [[Hertzsprung–Russell diagram|HR diagram]] after exhausting the [[hydrogen]] at its core. The collapse of the center of the star into a degenerate [[helium]] core has ignited a shell of hydrogen outside the core and Aldebaran is now on the [[red giant branch]] (RGB).<ref name=stock/>

The [[effective temperature]] of Aldebaran's [[photosphere]] is {{val|3,900|ul=K|fmt=commas}}. It has a surface gravity of {{val|1.45|ul=cgs}}, typical for a giant star, but around 35 times lower than the Earth's and nearly a thousand times lower than the Sun's. Its [[metallicity]] is about half the [[Sun]]'s.

Measurements by the [[Hipparcos]] satellite and other sources put Aldebaran around {{convert|65.3|ly|pc|abbr=off}} away.<ref name="Gatewood2008"/> Asteroseismology has determined that it is about 16% more massive than the Sun, yet it shines with 439 times the Sun's luminosity due to the expanded radius.  It is 45.1 times the [[Solar radius|diameter of the Sun]], approximately 63 million kilometres.  The angular diameter of Aldebaran has been measured many times. The value adopted as part of the Gaia benchmark calibration is {{val|20.580|0.030|ul=mas}}.<ref name=heiter/>

Aldebaran is a slightly [[variable star]], assigned to the [[slow irregular variable|slow irregular]] type ''LB''. The [[General Catalogue of Variable Stars]] indicates variation between apparent magnitude 0.75 and 0.95 from historical reports.<ref name=gcvs/> Modern studies show a smaller amplitude, with some showing almost no variation.<ref name=wasatonic/> Hipparcos photometry shows an amplitude of only about 0.02 magnitudes and a possible period around 18 days.<ref name=koen/> Intensive ground-based photometry showed variations of up to 0.03 magnitudes and a possible period around 91 days.<ref name=wasatonic/> Analysis of observations over a much longer period still find a total amplitude likely to be less than 0.1 magnitudes, and the variation is considered to be irregular.<ref name=percy/>

The [[photosphere]] shows abundances of [[carbon]], [[oxygen]], and [[nitrogen]] that suggest the giant has gone through its first [[dredge-up]] stage—a normal step in the evolution of a star into a red giant during which material from deep within the star is brought up to the surface by [[Convection zone|convection]].<ref name="Ohnaka2013"/> With its slow rotation, Aldebaran lacks a [[Dynamo theory|dynamo]] needed to generate a [[stellar corona|corona]] and hence is not a source of [[X-ray astronomy|hard X-ray emission]]. However, small scale [[Stellar magnetic field|magnetic fields]] may still be present in the lower atmosphere, resulting from convection turbulence near the surface. The measured strength of the magnetic field on Aldebaran is {{val|0.22|ul=G}}.<ref name=aa574_A90_30/> Any resulting soft X-ray emissions from this region may be attenuated by the [[chromosphere]], although ultraviolet emission has been detected in the [[stellar spectrum|spectrum]].<ref name=apj598_1_610/> The star is currently losing mass at a rate of {{val|1|–|1.6|e=-11|ul= M_Solar|up=yr}} (about one [[Earth mass]] in 300,000 years) with a velocity of {{val|30|u=km/s}}.<ref name="Ohnaka2013"/> This [[stellar wind]] may be generated by the weak magnetic fields in the lower atmosphere.<ref name=apj598_1_610/>

Beyond the chromosphere of Aldebaran is an extended molecular outer atmosphere (''MOLsphere'') where the temperature is cool enough for molecules of gas to form. This region lies at about 2.5 times the radius of the star and has a temperature of about {{val|1,500|fmt=commas|ul=K}}. The spectrum reveals lines of [[carbon monoxide]], [[water]], and [[titanium oxide]].<ref name="Ohnaka2013"/> Outside the MOLSphere, the stellar wind continues to expand until it reaches the [[termination shock]] boundary with the hot, ionized [[interstellar medium]] that dominates the [[Local Bubble]], forming a roughly spherical [[astrosphere]] with a radius of around {{val|1,000|u=au}}, centered on Aldebaran.<ref name=Wood2007/>

==Companion==
Measurements by the [[Gaia (spacecraft)|Gaia]] spacecraft have identified a [[proper motion companion]] to Aldebaran{{snd}} a star sharing a similar distance and relative motion, which are seen as hints for a physical association between the components.<ref name="Mugrauer2019"/> {{As of|2024}}, it has an angular separation of 33" from Aldebaran along a [[position angle]] of 117°. At its distance, the angular separation implies a physical [[projected separation]] of 680 [[astronomical unit]]s.<ref name="González-Payo2025"/>

The companion star, named Alpha Tauri B<ref name="González-Payo2025"/> or Aldebaran B,<ref name="Mugrauer2019"/> has an [[apparent magnitude]] of 13.2,<ref name=bidelman/> which is 80,000 to 96,000 times fainter than Aldebaran.{{efn|Calculated with <math>\sqrt[5]{100}</math>(<sup>m<sub>2</sub>&minus;m<sub>1</sub></sup>).}} It is also much smaller than Aldebaran, with a radius 0.35 times that of the Sun and a mass 0.400 times that of the Sun.<ref name=tic/> A [[spectral type]] of M2.5 has been published for the star.<ref name=bidelman/>

==Visual companions==
Four further stars at least as bright as B appear close to Aldebaran in the sky. These [[double star]] components were given upper-case [[Latin-script alphabet|Latin letter]] designations more or less in the order of their discovery, with the letter A reserved for the primary star. Some characteristics of these components, including their position relative to Aldebaran, are shown in the table.

{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable col5center" style="text-align: right;"
|+ WDS 04359+1631 catalogue entry<ref name=WDSC2014/>
! scope="col" | α&nbsp;Tau
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | [[Apparent magnitude|Apparent<br />magnitude]]
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | [[Angular separation|Angular<br />separation]] (″)
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | [[Position angle|Position<br />angle]] (°)
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | [[Parallax]] (mas)
|-
! scope="row" | C
| 11.30
| 129.50
| 32
| 2011
| {{val|19.1267|0.4274}}<ref name=dr2C/>
|-
! scope="row" | D
| 13.70
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
|-
! scope="row" | E
| 12.00
| 36.10
| 323
| 2000
|
|-
! scope="row" | F
| 13.60
| 255.70
| 121
| 2000
| {{val|0.1626|0.0369}}<ref name=dr2F/>
|}

Alpha Tauri CD is a [[binary star|binary system]] with the C and D component stars gravitationally bound to and co-orbiting each other. These co-orbiting stars have been shown to be located far beyond Aldebaran and are members of the Hyades star cluster. As with the rest of the stars in the cluster they do not physically interact with Aldebaran in any way.<ref name=CD/>

==Search for planets==
In 1993 radial velocity measurements of Aldebaran, [[Arcturus]] and [[Pollux (star)|Pollux]] showed that Aldebaran exhibited a long-period radial velocity oscillation, which could be interpreted as a [[substellar companion]]. The measurements for Aldebaran implied a companion with a minimum mass 11.4 times that of [[Jupiter]] in a 643-day orbit at a separation of {{convert|2.0|AU|Gm|abbr=on}} in a mildly [[Eccentricity (orbit)|eccentric]] orbit. However, all three stars surveyed showed similar oscillations yielding similar companion masses, and the authors concluded that the variation was likely to be intrinsic to the star rather than due to the gravitational effect of a companion.<ref name=Kgiants/>

In 2015 a study led by [[Artie P. Hatzes]] showed stable long-term evidence for both a planetary companion and stellar activity.<ref name=hatzes/> An [[asteroseismic]] analysis of the residuals to the planet fit has determined that Aldebaran&nbsp;b has a minimum mass of {{val|5.8|0.7}} [[Jupiter mass]]es, and that when the star was on the main sequence it would have given this planet Earth-like levels of illumination and therefore, potentially, temperature. This would have placed it and any of its moons in the [[habitable zone]].<ref name="Farr2018" /> However, a follow-up study in 2019 found that additional data weaken the evidence for a planetary companion.<ref name=Reichert2019/> A two-planet solution fits the data better but would be unstable; the more likely explanation is that the radial velocity variations are caused by intrinsic stellar oscillations that mimic a planetary companion, as observed in [[Gamma Draconis]]<ref name=Reichert2019/> and [[42 Draconis]].<ref name="DöllingerHartmann2021"/><ref name="Hatzes2025"/> Based on the 2019 study, some subsequent studies of planet candidates around giant stars consider Aldebaran b doubtful or disproven,<ref name="Spaeth2024"/><ref name="Spaeth2025"/> including a 2025 paper with Hatzes as the lead author.<ref name="Hatzes2025"/>

{{OrbitboxPlanet begin
| table_ref = <ref name=hatzes/>
| period_unit = day
}}
{{OrbitboxPlanet hypothetical
| exoplanet = b
| mass = {{val|5.8|0.7|p=≥}}
| semimajor = {{val|1.46|0.27}}
| period = {{val|628.96|0.9}}
| eccentricity = {{val|0.1|0.05}}
| status = dubious
}}
{{Orbitbox end}}

==Etymology and mythology==
Aldebaran was originally {{lang|ar|نَيِّر اَلدَّبَرَان}} ({{Transliteration|ar|Nayyir al-Dabarān}} in Arabic), meaning {{gloss|the bright one of the follower}}, since it follows the Pleiades; in fact, the Arabs sometimes also applied‍ the name {{Transliteration|ar|al-Dabarān}} to the Hyades as a whole.<ref name=startales>{{Cite web|last=Ridpath|first=Ian|title=Aldebaran, the eye of the bull|url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/taurus2.html#aldebaran|website=Star Tales}}</ref> A variety of transliterated spellings have been used, with the current ''Aldebaran'' becoming standard relatively recently.<ref name=allen/>

===Mythology===
This easily seen and striking star in its suggestive [[asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] is a popular subject for ancient and modern myths.
* [[Culture of Mexico|Mexican culture]]: For the [[Seri people|Seris]] of northwestern Mexico, this star provides light for the seven women giving birth ([[Pleiades]]). It has three names: ''{{lang|sei-Latn|Hant Caalajc Ipápjö}}'', ''{{lang|sei-Latn|Queeto}}'', and ''{{lang|sei-Latn|Azoj Yeen oo Caap}}'' ({{gloss|star that goes ahead}}). The lunar month corresponding to October is called ''{{lang|sei-Latn|Queeto yaao}}'' {{gloss|Aldebaran's path}}.<ref name=moser/>
* [[Culture of Australia|Australian Aboriginal culture]]: amongst indigenous people of the Clarence River, in north-eastern [[New South Wales]], this star is the ancestor ''Karambal'', who stole another man's wife. The woman's husband tracked him down and burned the tree in which he was hiding. It is believed that he rose to the sky as smoke and became the star Aldebaran.<ref name=clarke/>
* [[Persian culture]]: Aldebaran is considered one of the 4 "[[royal stars]]".{{sfnp|Allen|1963}}

===Names in other languages===
* Aside from ''al-Dabarān'', other traditional Arabic names are ''ʽAin al-Thaur'', the eye of Taurus, and ''al-Fanīq'', the large or male camel, with the Hyades being ''al-Qilāṣ'', the small camels.<ref name=startales/>
* In [[Hindu astronomy]], it is identified as the [[lunar station]] Rohini, the red one.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indian Names (All Terms) |url=https://xing.fmi.uni-jena.de/mediawiki/index.php/Indian_Names_(All_Terms) |website=All Skies Encyclopaedia |publisher=[[IAU Working Group on Star Names]] |access-date=27 June 2025}}</ref> In [[Hindu mythology]], [[Rohini (goddess)|Rohini]] is one of the twenty-seven daughters of the sage-king [[Daksha]] and [[Asikni (goddess)|Asikni]], and the favourite wife of the moon god, [[Chandra]].
* In [[Persian language|Persian]], it was known as Tascheter.<ref name=allen/>
* The [[Ancient Greek]] name {{lang|el|Λαμπαδίας}} {{Transliteration|el|Lampadias}}, literally {{gloss|torch-like}} or {{gloss|torch-bearer}}, was used in Ptolemy's ''[[Tetrabiblos]]''.<ref name=lsj/>
* A [[Latin]] name is Palilicium (or Parilicium), so called because this star disappeared in twilight around the time of [[Parilia]], the feast of [[Pales]] on April 21.<ref name=allen/> This name appeared in [[John Flamsteed|Flamsteed]] and [[Johann Bode|Bode]]'s star catalogues.<ref name=startales/> Another Latin name, used in the medieval ''[[Alfonsine Tables]]'', was Cor Tauri, the heart of the bull.<ref name=allen/>
* In [[Chinese astronomy]], {{lang|zh|畢宿}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Bì Xiù}}), meaning [[Net (Chinese constellation)|{{gloss|Net}}]], refers to an [[Asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] consisting of Aldebaran, [[Epsilon Tauri|ε Tauri]], [[Delta3 Tauri|δ<sup>3</sup> Tauri]], [[Delta1 Tauri|δ<sup>1</sup> Tauri]], [[Gamma Tauri|γ Tauri]], [[71 Tauri]] and [[Lambda Tauri|λ Tauri]].<ref name=zh/> Consequently, the [[Chinese star names|Chinese name]] for Aldebaran itself is {{lang|zh|畢宿五}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Bì Xiù wǔ}}), {{gloss|the Fifth Star of Net}}.<ref name=lcsd/>
* In [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]], the star is named ''Kapuahi''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Villegas |first1=Marissa |title=Welcoming Kapuahi, Hawaiian Airlines' first Boeing 787 Dreamliner |url=https://newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com/blog/welcoming-kapuahi-hawaiian-airlines-first-boeing-787-dreamliner |website=Hawaiian Airlines |access-date=16 April 2024 |date=23 February 2024}}</ref>
* In [[Biblical Hebrew]], עָשׁ (''ʿāš)'' in [[Job 9|Job 9:9]] and עַ֫יִשׁ (''ʿayiš'') in [[Job 38|Job 38:32]] have been identified with it and translated accordingly in English versions such as [[New Jewish Publication Society of America Tanakh|NJPS]] and [[Revised English Bible|REB]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Seow |first=C. L. |title=Job 1-21: interpretation and commentary |date=2013 |publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company |isbn=978-0-8028-4895-6 |series=Illuminations |location=Grand Rapids, Michigan Cambridge, U.K |pages=559}}</ref>

===In modern culture===
[[File:Nave Aldebaran.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|[[Italian frigate Aldebaran (F 590)|Italian frigate ''Aldebaran'' (F 590)]]]]
As the brightest star in a Zodiac constellation, it is given [[Stars in astrology#Aldebaran|great significance]] within [[astrology]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Partridge |first=Jamie |date=2015-04-30 |title=Fixed Star Aldebaran |url=https://astrologyking.com/aldebaran-star-alpha-tauri/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Astrology King |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521191338/https://astrologyking.com/aldebaran-star-alpha-tauri/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Irish singer and composer [[Enya]] has a piece released on her eponymous album in 1986, which lyricist [[Roma Ryan]] titled Aldebaran after the star in Taurus.

The name Aldebaran or Alpha Tauri has been adopted many times, including
* [[Aldebaran Rock]] in Antarctica
* United States Navy stores ship {{USS|Aldebaran|AF-10}} and {{ship|Italian frigate|Aldebaran|F 590|up=yes}}
* proposed micro-satellite launch vehicle [[Aldebaran (rocket)|Aldebaran]]
* French company [[Aldebaran Robotics]]
* Fashion brand [[AlphaTauri (fashion brand)|AlphaTauri]]
* [[Formula 1]] team [[Scuderia AlphaTauri]], active from {{F1|2020}} to {{F1|2023}}, previously known as [[Toro Rosso]]
* One of the chariot race horses owned by Sheikh Ilderim in the movie ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]''

The star also appears in works of fiction such as ''[[Far from the Madding Crowd]]'' (1874) and ''[[Down and Out in Paris and London]]'' (1933).  It is frequently seen in [[science fiction]], including the [[Lensman series|''Lensman'' series]] (1948–1954), ''[[Fallen Dragon]]'' (2001) and passingly in Kim Stanley Robinson's "Blue Mars" (1996). Aldebaran is associated with [[Hastur]], also known as The King in Yellow, in the horror stories of [[Robert W. Chambers]].<ref>Harms, ''[[The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana]]'', p. 136.</ref>

In the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]] episode 'Relics', [[Montgomery Scott]] and [[Captain Jean-Luc Picard]] drink "Aldebaran whisky".

Aldebaran regularly features in [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] as one of the origins of [[List of alleged extraterrestrial beings|extraterrestrial aliens]],<ref name=lafayette/> often linked to [[Nazi UFOs]].<ref name=vanhelsing/> A well-known example is the German conspiracy theorist [[Axel Stoll]], who considered the star the home of the [[Aryan#Nazism and white supremacy|Aryan race]] and the target of expeditions by the ''[[Wehrmacht]]''.<ref name=stoll/>

The planetary exploration probe ''[[Pioneer 10]]'' is no longer powered or in contact with Earth, but its trajectory is taking it in the general direction of Aldebaran.  It is expected to make its closest approach in about two million years.<ref name=cp48_1_41 />

The Austrian chemist [[Carl Auer von Welsbach]] proposed the name ''aldebaranium'' (chemical symbol Ad) for a [[rare earth element]] that he (among others) had found. Today, it is called [[ytterbium]] (symbol Yb).<ref name="Deu">{{cite journal|title=Die Zerlegung des Ytterbiums in seine Elemente|journal=Monatshefte für Chemie|volume=29|issue=2|date=1908|doi=10.1007/BF01558944|pages=181–225|first=Carl A.|last=von Welsbach|s2cid=197766399|url=https://zenodo.org/record/2348610|access-date=2021-09-13|archive-date=2021-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921144103/https://zenodo.org/record/2348610|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Fra">{{cite journal|title=Lutetium und Neoytterbium oder Cassiopeium und Aldebaranium – Erwiderung auf den Artikel des Herrn Auer v. Welsbach|date=1909|journal=Monatshefte für Chemie|volume=31|issue=10|doi=10.1007/BF01530262|first=G.|last=Urbain|page=1|s2cid=101825980|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1859372|access-date=2021-09-13|archive-date=2021-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029180506/https://zenodo.org/record/1859372|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=history>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/naturesbuildingb0000emsl|url-access=registration| pages= [https://archive.org/details/naturesbuildingb0000emsl/page/492 492]–494|title = Nature's building blocks: an A-Z guide to the elements| author =Emsley, John | publisher= Oxford University Press| date = 2003| isbn = 978-0-19-850340-8}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Lists of stars]]
* [[List of brightest stars]]
* [[List of nearest bright stars]]
* [[Historical brightest stars]]
* [[Taurus (Chinese astronomy)]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=

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<ref name=NEA>{{Cite Exoplanet Archive|alf Tau}}</ref>

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<ref name="IAU-CSN">{{cite web | url=http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~emamajek/WGSN/IAU-CSN.txt | title=IAU Catalog of Star Names | access-date=28 July 2016 | archive-date=7 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707180747/http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~emamajek/WGSN/IAU-CSN.txt | url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name=pronounce1>{{cite web|url=http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Aldebaran?q=aldebaran |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201250/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Aldebaran?q=aldebaran |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |publisher=Oxford Dictionary |title=Aldebaran | access-date=2019-01-09}}</ref>

<ref name=pronounce2>{{cite dictionary|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aldebaran |dictionary=Merriam-Webster |title=Aldebaran | access-date=2019-01-09}}</ref>

<ref name=lsj>{{LSJ|lampadi/as|Λαμπαδίας|ref}}</ref>

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}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.solstation.com/stars2/aldebaran.htm |title=Aldebaran 2 |access-date=14 November 2005 |work=SolStation| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051125055412/http://www.solstation.com/stars2/aldebaran.htm| archive-date= 25 November 2005 | url-status= live}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kChz6n3QHNw Daytime occultation of Aldebaran by the Moon (Moscow, Russia)] YouTube video

{{Sky|04|35|55.2|+|16|30|33|65}}
{{Stars of Taurus}}
{{Portal bar|Astronomy|Stars|Outer space}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldebaran}}
[[Category:Aldebaran| ]]
<!-- Properties -->
[[Category:K-type giants]]
[[Category:Slow irregular variables]]
[[Category:Hypothetical planetary systems]]
<!-- Other -->
[[Category:Binary stars]]
[[Category:Taurus (constellation)]]
[[Category:Bayer objects|Tauri, Alpha]]
[[Category:Bright Star Catalogue objects|1457]]
[[Category:Durchmusterung objects|BD+16 0629]]
[[Category:Flamsteed objects|Tauri, 087]]
[[Category:Gliese and GJ objects|0171.1]]
[[Category:Henry Draper Catalogue objects|029139]]
[[Category:Hipparcos objects|021421]]
[[Category:Stars with proper names]]
[[Category:Lucidae]]