Star profile

Aldebaran

Alpha Tauri · Taurus

Variable star

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is Aldebaran

Aldebaran, 'the follower' in Arabic, has chased the Pleiades across the sky of Taurus for as long as humans have looked up, glowing as the bull's burning eye. Its orange, faintly variable K-giant light once guided Persian and Babylonian astronomers. The distance is modest — barely 67 light-years — which is why it feels so close: tonight you see the glow it cast around 1959.

Where it is and when to see it

Aldebaran lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is one of the brightest stars in the sky: visible even from a city. Its best month of the year is December, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 55° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 66° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 40° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 73° S.

It is the brightest of the 144 stars of Taurus in our catalogue, which makes it the best starting point for finding your way around the constellation.

The light you see today left it about 67 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Aldebaran

Constellation: Taurus
Apparent magnitude: 0.87
Distance: 66.7 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 68.980° · Dec 16.509°
Catalogue: HIP 21421 · HD 29139

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Other stars in Taurus

Taurus has 144 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 144 stars in Taurus