Aldebaran - Alpha Tauri | Constellation Guide Constellation Guide Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky Aldebaran by admin Aldebaran, Alpha Tauri, also known as the Eye of Taurus, is an orange giant star located at a distance of 65 light years from Earth. It is the brightest star in Taurus constellation and the 14th brightest star in the night sky. Aldebaran has a luminosity 518 times that of the Sun (153 times in visible light). The name Aldebaran (pronounced /ælˈdɛbərən/) comes from the Arabic word al-dabarān, meaning “the follower.” The name refers to the Pleiades cluster ( Messier 45 ), which the star appears to be following across the sky. Orange or reddish in colour, Aldebaran has the stellar classification K5 III and an apparent magnitude that varies from 0.75 to 0.95. It is classified as a slow irregular type LB variable star and has the designation CSV 6116 in the Catalogue of Suspected Variable stars.

The star’s variability is not visible to the naked eye. Aldebaran has evolved off the main sequence stage of its life cycle and exhausted the supply of hydrogen fuel in its core. It is now fusing hydrogen in a shell around the helium core. As a result, the star has brightened and expanded to a radius 44.2 times that of the Sun. Aldebaran and Sun in scale. If Aldebaran were to replace the Sun in the centre of the solar system, the star’s surface would extend halfway to the orbit of Mercury and would extend across 20 degrees in our sky. The helium burning stage typically lasts tends to hundreds of millions of years, or about 700 million years for a star with a mass equal to the Sun’s, and Aldebaran has 1.7 solar masses. Aldebaran will reach about 800 solar luminosities within the next few million years. Eventually, it will lose much of its current mass through its strong stellar wind and expel its outer envelope to form a planetary nebula, leaving behind a white dwarf.

The star is cooler than the Sun, with a surface temperature just under 4,000 K, compared to the Sun’s 5,800 K. It is a very slow rotator, completing a rotation every 643 days. Aldebaran location Aldebaran is very easy to find in the sky. To locate the star, observers can just follow the line formed by the three stars of Orion’s Belt to the right (in northern latitudes) or to the left (in the southern hemisphere). Aldebaran is the first bright star that appears along that line. The best time of year to observe Aldebaran is in the fall and winter months, when the star and Orion’s Belt rise in the east in the evening and move to the northwest over the course of the night. Star system There are five faint stars appearing near Aldebaran, but most of them are just optical companions. The stars were given designations Aldebaran B through Aldebaran F in the order of discovery, while the primary star is designated Aldebaran A. Aldebaran and the Hyades cluster.

Image: Thomas Bresson Aldebaran B is a red dwarf with the stellar classification M2V. It has an apparent magnitude of 13.6 and an absolute magnitude of 11.98. It is separated by about 607 astronomical units from Aldebaran A. Several surveys have indicated that the two stars may share a common proper motion and may not be just optical companions, but form a physical binary star system. However, as the star B is too faint and appears too close to Aldebaran A, astronomers have not been able to confirm this with any degree of certainty. The stars Alpha Tauri C and D are gravitationally bound to each other and form a physical binary system. They are K5 and M2 dwarf/subdwarf stars separated by about 34 astronomical units. The stars lie far beyond Aldebaran A and belong to the Hyades cluster. FACTS Aldebaran marks the right eye of the celestial Bull , while Ain, Epsilon Tauri, marks the left eye. Aldebaran lies in the same line of sight as the Hyades open cluster and appears as the brightest member of the famous cluster.

The Hyades cluster , known for its bull’s head V-shape, is in fact some 150 light years distant from Earth, more than twice as far away from us as Aldebaran. In this July, 1997 still frame captured from video, the bright star Aldebaran has just reappeared on the dark limb of the waning crescent moon in this predawn occultation. Photo by Bart Benjamin. Alpha Tauri lies close to the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun, Moon, and planets across the sky, and is often occulted by the Moon. The occultation makes it easy to get a good estimate of the star’s size by taking into account the time it is covered and watching it from different locations. The star is in conjunction with the Sun around June 1 every year. Astronomers reported detecting a substellar companion orbiting the star in the 1990s, but subsequent studies have not confirmed this. If it exists, the companion has a mass at least 11.4 times that of Jupiter and orbits the star every 643 days at a separation of 2 astronomical units.

The orbital period of the suspected companion matches the star’s rotation rate. Two other stars that exhibited similar long-period radial velocity oscillations in the same study were Arcturus in Boötes constellation and Pollux in Gemini . The authors of the study concluded that the oscillations were likely intrinsic to the stars and not caused by the gravitational effect of a substellar companion. Aldebaran is one of the brightest stars in near-infrared wavelengths. It has a near-infrared J band magnitude of -2.1 and is only fainter than Betelgeuse , R Doradus, and Arcturus . Aldebaran and Hyades. Image: Thomas Bresson The star was known by many different names over the millennia. Persian observers knew it as Tascheter. It was the Eastern Royal Star, one of the Four Royal Stars in ancient Persia, along with Regulus in Leo constellation , Antares in Scorpius , and Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus . Aldebaran is also known as the Buddha’s Star, God’s Eye, or the Star of Illumination.

About 5,000 years ago, the star’s rising marked the vernal equinox and the beginning of the Babylonian new year. Ancient Romans called the star Palilicium. The name is derived from Palilia or Parilia, referring to the feast of Pales, the feminine form of Pan. The Chinese name for the star is Bìxiùwŭ, or the Fifth Star of the Net. In the Middle Ages, Aldebaran was sometimes called Cor Tauri, which is Latin for the Heart of the Bull. In Hindu mythology, the star is known as Rohini, one of the 27 daughters of Daksha given to the god Chandra as wives. Chandra, the Moon god, fell in love with Rohini and spent all his time with her, neglecting his other wives. This angered Daksha, who cursed the god to suffer from tuberculosis. Other gods intervened and the curse was changed so that Chandra suffers tuberculosis for 15 days and gets well for the other 15 days, which explains the lunar phases. Map of the Hyades cluster from a southern perspective.

Image: Roberto Mura The Seris people in Mexico saw Aldebaran as a star providing light for seven women giving birth. The seven women were represented by the Pleiades cluster. The Dakota Sioux had a legend in which Aldebaran fell to Earth and killed a serpent, which led to the formation of the Mississippi River. In Aboriginal culture, in the Clearance River of New South Wales, Aldebaran was known as the Ancestor Karambal, who stole another man’s wife and was then tracked down by her husband, who burned the tree in which Karambal was hiding. It is believed that Karambal then rose to the sky as smoke and became the star Aldebaran. Aldebaran is often featured in works of science fiction, including H.P. Lovecraft’s The Cthulhu Mythos (1921-), E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman series (1934-1948), Leigh Brackett’s novel The Starmen (1952), Alfred Bester’s classic The Stars My Destination (1956), Ursula K.

Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven (1971), Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War (1974), Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979), Frederik Pohl’s Narabedla Ltd. (1988), and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Blue Mars (1996). The star is also featured in Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira’s comic book series Aldébaran (1994–1998). There are also references to Aldebaran in episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, The Next Generation, and Enterprise, and also in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. “Taurus”, plate 17 in Urania’s Mirror, a set of celestial cards accompanied by A familiar treatise on astronomy… by Jehoshaphat Aspin. London. Astronomical chart, 1 print on layered paper board: etching, hand-colored. Image: Sidney Hall While the star’s name may or may not have inspired the name of Princess Leia’s home planet, Alderaan, destroyed by the Death Star in Episode IV, Aldebaran does not make an appearance in Star Wars.

Alderaan is a planet in a galaxy far, far away, while Aldebaran is a star in the Milky Way Galaxy. Aldebaran is also mentioned in several classics outside science fiction, including Thomas Hardy’s novels Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) and Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891), James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922), and George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London (1933). The star Borgil in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955) has also been positively identified as Aldebaran. Other references to the star include the games Star Control, Frontier: Elite II, FreeSpace 2, and Escape Velocity Nova. Aldebaran – Alpha Tauri Aldebaran is the Bull's fiery eye | Brightest Stars | EarthSky History and mythology of Aldebaran. Science of star Aldebaran. This star glows with the orangish color of a K5 giant star.

In visible light, it is about 153 times brighter than the sun, although its surface temperature is lower (roughly 4000 kelvins compared to 5800 kelvins for the sun). Aldebaran is about 65 light-years away, much closer than the stars of the Hyades with which it misleadingly seems associated. The Hyades are about 150 light-years away. Aldebaran is an erratic variable with minor variations too small to be noticed by the eye. It also has a small, faint companion star, an M-type red dwarf, some 3.5 light-days away. In other words, light from Aldebaran would need to travel for 3.5 days to reach the companion, in contrast to light from our sun, which requires 8 minutes to travel to Earth. The three medium-bright stars of Orion’s Belt point to reddish Aldebaran. Image via SolarEmpireUK How to see Aldebaran. Aldebaran is easy to find. Frequently imagined as the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull, Aldebaran is part of a V-shaped star grouping that forms the face of the Bull.

This pattern is called the Hyades. You can also locate Aldebaran using the famous constellation Orion as a guide. Simply locate the three stars of Orion’s Belt. Then draw an imaginary line through the belt to the right. The first bright star you come to will be Aldebaran with its distinctive reddish-orange glow. Aldebaran is the 14th brightest star, but five of those that outshine it are only barely visible or not visible at all from much of the Northern Hemisphere. Aldebaran is primarily a winter and spring star. At least, that is when this red star is most easily visible in the evening sky. By early December, it rises shortly after sunset and is visible all night. Three months later it is high to the south at sunset, and sets at around midnight. By early May, it hangs low about the western sunset glow – and before the end of the month, it’s lost altogether. It returns to the predawn sky around late June. By the way, although it appears among them, Aldebaran is not actually a member of the V-shaped Hyades cluster. It is actually much closer to us in space than the actual Hyades stars. Constellation Taurus.

See Aldebaran marked as the Bull’s Eye? View larger. History and mythology of Aldebaran. Aldebaran is often depicted as the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull. Because it is bright and prominent, Aldebaran was honored as one of the Four Royal Stars in ancient Persia, the other three Royal Stars being Regulus, Antares and Fomalhaut. The name Aldebaran is from the Arabic for “The Follower,” presumably as a hunter following prey, which here likely was the star cluster we call the Pleiades. The latter was often viewed as a flock of birds, perhaps doves. According to Richard Hinckley Allen in his classic book Star Names, the name Aldebaran once was applied to the entire Hyades star cluster, a large loose collection of faint stars. In Hindu myth, Aldebaran was sometimes identified with a beautiful young woman named Rohini, disguised as an antelope and pursued by her lecherous father, disguised as a deer, Mriga. Apparently several ancient peoples associated the star with rain.

The Wikipedia entry notes a Dakota Sioux story in which Aldebaran was a star which had fallen to the Earth and whose killing of a serpent led to the formation of the Mississippi River. Allen notes a number of other alternate names, but precious little mythology is known for Aldebaran separately. Aldebaran is the name of one of the chariot horses in the movie Ben Hur. On a different note, astronomer Jack Eddy has suggested a connection with the Big Horn Medicine Wheel, an ancient circle of stones atop a mountain in Wyoming. Eddy wrote that the ancient Americans may have used this site as a sort of observatory to view the rising of Aldebaran just before the sun in June to predict the June solstice. Interestingly, in about two million years, the American spaceprobe Pioneer 10, now heading out into deep space, will pass Aldebaran. Aldebaran’s position is RA: 4h 35m 55s, dec: 16°30’35” Bottom line: The star is so Aldebaran huge that, were it in our sun’s place, its surface would extend almost to the orbit of Mercury.

Aldebaran ALDEBARAN (Alpha Tauri). Aldebaran is by far the brightest, and therefore the Alpha , star of the constellation Taurus . The ancient name, from Arabic, means "the Follower," as the star seems to follow the Pleiades , or Seven Sisters star cluster , across the sky. Aldebaran, 67 light years away, is positioned in front of the sprawling Hyades star cluster (in mythology, half-sisters to the Pleiades) that make the head of Taurus the Bull, but is not a part of it, the cluster (at 150 light years) over twice as far away. Nevertheless, it makes a fine guide to it. In most renderings of the constellation , Aldebaran makes the celestial Bull's eye. As part of a constellation of the Zodiac , Aldebaran is close to the Sun's path, the Sun passing to the north of it about June 1, the star also regularly covered, or occulted, by the Moon .

This class K (K5) giant star , of first magnitude (0.85) and 14th brightest in the sky, is a low-level irregular variable star that fluctuates erratically and to the eye unnoticeably by about two-tenths of a magnitude. Aldebaran's surface temperature of 4010 degrees Kelvin (compared to the Sun 's 5780 degree temperature) gives it a distinct orangy color not all that dissimilar to that of Mars, which commonly passes it. Allowance for infrared radiation reveals the star to have a fairly high luminosity 425 times that of the Sun, which leads to a radius of 43 times solar. A projected equatorial rotation velocity of 5.2 kilometers per second gives the star a rotation period that could be as long as 400 days. The duration of disappearance in lunar occultations, as well as direct measure of angular diameter through interferometry, give an angular diameter of 0.01996 second of arc (the apparent size of a US nickel seen at a distance of about 50 kilometers), the star a leader in the number of such measures.

That combined with distance gives a physical diameter of 44 times solar, in excellent agreement with the one found from luminosity and temperature. From the theory of stellar structure and evolution, Aldebaran carries a mass of around 1.7 times that of the Sun. Most class K giants are quietly fusing their internal helium cores into carbon and oxygen. Aldebaran, on the other hand, seems to be in a preliminary state in which a still-dead helium core is contracting and heating, causing the star as a whole to continue to expand and brighten. Consistent with its large size and luminosity, it's also known for a strong wind, through which it's beginning to lose mass, which surrounds it out to about 100 Astronomical Units. Within only another few million years, the star will top out at around 800 solar luminosities as it fires its helium, then shrinks and dims some to become one of the usual K-giant crowd. If Aldebaran were in our Solar System, it would extend halfway to the planet Mercury and would appear 20 degrees across in our sky, its great luminosity making life on Earth quite impossible.

For a time, Aldebaran was thought to harbor its own planet (discovered through shifts in the star's velocity), but it has never been confirmed. Such would be counter to the usual finding that stars with planets tend toward high metal abundances, as Aldebaran's iron content (relative to hydrogen) is about half that of the Sun's. Written by Jim Kaler 1/30/98; revised 10/30/99, 11/14/08, 05/22/09. Return to STARS . Aldebaran: The Star in the Bull's Eye Aldebaran: The Star in the Bull's Eye By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | July 18, 2013 09:28pm ET MORE On the morning of Sunday July 15, 2012, the planets Venus and Jupiter joined with the red giant star Aldebaran and the waning crescent moon in a quadruple conjunction. The Pleiades star cluster is nearby.

Credit: Starry Night Software Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus and is known as the "Eye of Taurus." The name "Aldebaran" is Arabic, which means "The Follower" because it appears to follow the Hyades star cluster that forms the head of the bull. The K giant star is slightly larger than our sun, at 1.7 solar masses, and strong winds emanating from it are bleeding away its mass. Aldebaran is older and redder than the sun and preparing to fuse its lightweight core into heavier elements, which is common among stars of its type. Aldebaran has a surface temperature of about 6,760 F (3,738 C) and glows red, similar to Mars — which occasionally passes by the star in the night sky. Because the star's luminosity is well understood, it is sometimes used for comparative astronomy. In 2006, for example, the Cassini spacecraft gazed at Aldebaran through the rings of Saturn to learn more about ring particle concentrations. Locating Aldebaran The star was noted and named in Chinese, Roman and Hindu astronomy, among other cultures.

Aldebaran would have been hard to miss for the ancients, given that Taurus is very visible in the winter. The bull, in fact, is one of the oldest documented constellations . Its origins stretch back at least as far as the Bronze Age. At 65 light-years away, the star is practically a neighbor to Earth. Its apparent magnitude is about 0.85, making it the 14th brightest star in the night sky. Aldebaran's location is: Right ascension: 04 hours 35 minutes 55.2 seconds Declination: +16 degrees 30 minutes 33 seconds Taurus Constellation on Top Astronomer Taurus Please hover over any star to get more information Taurus is a constellation in the northern hemisphere. Its name means "bull" in Latin. It is one of the constellations of the zodiac, listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century.

The constellation Taurus is believed to have been identified with the bull since Chalcolithic times, and possibly even depicted at the Lascaux caves, along with the Pleiades cluster, around the year 15,000 BC. Babylonian astronomers called the constellation the Heavenly Bull. Ancient Egyptians believed that it represented a sacred bull, one associated with the renewal of nature in spring. In Greek mythology, Taurus is associated with Zeus, who once disguised himself as a bull to abduct Europa, the daughter of King Agenor of Phoenicia. He carried her from Tyre across the sea to Crete. Their children included King Minos, famous for building the palace at Knossos. The constellation Taurus occupies an area of 797 square degrees and contains three stars with known planets. It can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -65° and is best visible at 9 p.m. during the month of January. In tropical astrology, the Sun is said to be in Taurus between April 20 and May 21, while in sidereal astrology it passes through the sign from May 16 to June 15.

The brightest star in the constellation is [7931] alpha Tauri, or Aldebaran ("the follower"). Aldebaran is an orange-red giant, an irregular variable star, about 65 light-years distant. It is also sometimes called the Bull's Eye because it lies in the head of Taurus. It is the 13th brightest star in the sky. It was named Aldebaran because it appears to follow the Pleiades cluster across the sky. The Chinese know Aldebaran as the Fifth Star of the Net, while the Inuit call it the Spirit of the Polar Bear. The Seris people in Mexico believe that it provides light for seven women giving birth, represented by the Pleiades. The Dakotas saw the Pleiades as a white buffalo, chased by a hero (Aldebaran) across the sky. [7932] beta Tauri, the second brightest star, lies near the border with the constellation Auriga. It is sometimes called El Nath or Alnath ("the bull’s horns"). El Nath is a B class star evolving into a giant. It lies about 131 light-years from Earth.

[7933] eta Tauri or Alcyone is the brightest of the Pleiades and the third brightest star in Taurus. It is a multiple star system with a blue-white giant for a primary component. Alcyone has an apparent magnitude of 2.85 and is approximately 440 light-years distant. The Pleiades, also known as Messier 45 or the Seven Sisters, are a group of stars that form a young open cluster in Taurus. The Pleiades cluster is composed mostly of hot, blue, extremely luminous stars. It is the easiest cluster to find without the aid of binoculars. Lying about 440 light-years away, it is one of the nearest star clusters to Earth. It contains more than a thousand stars. The brightest nine are named after the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters in Greek mythology, and their parents, the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione. In the myth, Atlas was one of the titans who fought against Zeus and other Olympian gods and, once the titans were defeated, he was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders as punishment.

With Atlas out of the way, the hunter Orion started pursuing his daughters and Zeus turned them into stars to prevent Orion from catching them. The celestial Orion still follows the Pleiades across the sky. The main stars in the Pleiades cluster are [7933] Alcyone (eta Tauri), [7939] Atlas (27 Tauri), [7941] Electra (17 Tauri), [7945] Maia (20 Tauri), [7948] Merope (23 Tauri), [7957] Taygeta (19 Tauri), [7983] Pleione (28 Tauri), [8010] Celaeno (16 Tauri) and [8045] Asterope (21 and 22 Tauri). [7939] Atlas is a multiple star system with a blue-white giant for a primary star. [7941] Electra is another blue-white giant. [7945] Maia is a blue giant classified as a mercury-manganese star.

[7948] Merope is a blue-white subgiant classified as a Beta Cephei variable. [7957] Taygeta is another multiple system with a blue-white subgiant for the main component. [7983] Pleione is a blue-white dwarf classified as a Gamma Cassiopeiae type variable star. [8010] Celaeno is a blue-white subgiant, sometimes known as the Lost Pleiad because it cannot be easily distinguished from its brighter neighbour, [7939] Atlas. [8045] Asterope (Sterope) is a binary star with a blue-white dwarf for the brighter component. There are several other notable stars in Taurus. [7934] zeta Tauri is a binary star 417 light-years distant. The primary component is an extremely luminous, hot, blue-white giant classified as a Gamma Cassiopeiae type variable. It has luminosity 5,700 times that of the Sun.

[7944] - [7935] theta Tauri is a star system, approximately 155 light-years distant, dominated by two bright, third magnitude giants, one orange and the other white. [7936] lambda Tauri, or Elthor ("the bull") is a triple star system 370 light-years from Earth. The primary star is a blue-white dwarf and the companion is a white subgiant. [7937] epsilon Tauri, also known as Ain ("eye") and Oculus Borealis ("northern eye"), is an orange giant, 147 light-years distant. It belongs to the Hyades cluster, the nearest open cluster to the solar system, lying only 151 light-years away. The Hyades cluster contains between 300 and 400 stars. The brightest ones form the shape of the letter V, which appears along the same line of sight as [7931] Aldebaran, a star that is not a member of the cluster. [7940] gamma Tauri, or Hyadum I ("first Hyad") is another member of the Hyades cluster.

It is a G class giant, 154 light-years distant. Taurus contains the Crab Nebula (NGC 1952), the first Messier object ever to be listed. It is a pulsar wind nebula, which means that it is powered by the wind of a pulsar, found inside the shell of a supernova remnant. The Crab Pulsar, a rotating neutron star that emits gamma rays and radio waves, lies at the core of nebula. The Crab Nebula is approximately 6,500 light-years distant and expanding at the rate of 1,500 kilometres per second. Taurus also contains several fainter open star clusters, designated NGC 1746, NGC 1647, NGC 1817 and NGC 1807, and the variable reflection nebula NGC 1555, located near the star T Tauri (HD 284419).

Aldebaran | Define Aldebaran at Dictionary.com Aldebaran [al-deb-er-uh n] /ælˈdɛb ər ən/ Spell a first-magnitude star, orange in color, in the constellation Taurus. Origin of Aldebaran < Arabic al the + dabarān follower (of the Pleiades) Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for Aldebaran Expand We'll keep the Aldebaran at Kankad's, and use her for emergencies. Uller Uprising Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation of Taurus. Astronomical Curiosities J. Ellard Gore But when he saw Aldebaran he stopped agape and crossed himself. The Jester's Sword Annie Fellows Johnston So from the cradle it was destined for Aldebaran, and from the cradle it was his greatest teacher. The Jester's Sword Annie Fellows Johnston You've been so brave—just like Aldebaran in the Jester's Sword.

The Jester's Sword Annie Fellows Johnston British Dictionary definitions for Aldebaran Expand noun 1. a binary star, one component of which is a red giant, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. It appears in the sky close to the star cluster Hyades. Visual magnitude: 0.85; spectral type: K5III; distance: 65 light years Word Origin C14: via Medieval Latin from Arabic al-dabarān the follower (of the Pleiades) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for Aldebaran Expand bright star in Taurus, late 14c., from Arabic Al Dabaran "the follower" (of the Pleiades, which rise shortly before it does), from dabara "he followed." Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Aldebaran from p.383 of Star Names , Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889. Alpha (α) Taurus , Aldebaran, is a pale rose star marking the right eye of the Bull (the star Ain , or epsilon (ε), marks the left eye). Aldebaran is from Al Dabaran, the Follower, i.e.

of the Pleiades (a group of stars in Taurus of which Alcyone is the central one), or, as the 19th American philologist Professor Whitney's suggested, because it marked the 2nd manzil ( Arabic Moon Mansion ) that followed the first. The name, now monopolized by this star, originally was given to the entire group of the Hyades and the lunar mansion which, as Na'ir al Dabaran, the Bright One of the Follower, our star marked; yet there was diversity of opinion as to this, for the first edition of the Alfonsine Tables applied it solely to alpha (α Aldebaran), while that of 1483, and the 10th century Persian astronomical writer Al Sufi, did not recognize alpha (α Aldebaran) as included in the title.

The Italian astronomer Riccioli (1598-1671) usually wrote it Aldebara, occasionally {p.384} Aldebaram, adopted in the French edition of Flamsteed's Atlas of 1776; Spenser, in the Faerie Queen wrote Aldeboran, which occasionally still appears; Chaucer, in the Hous of Fame, and even the modern La Lande, had Aldeberan; the 17th century German astronomer and ephemeris creator Schickard gave the word as Addebiris and Debiron; and Costard, in his History of Astronomy, cited Aldebaron.

The Persian astronomer Al Biruni (973-1048 A.D.) quoted, as titles indigenous to Arabia, Al Fanik, the Stallion Camel; Al Fatik, the Fat Camel; and Al Muhdij, the Female Camel,— the smaller adjacent stars of the Hyades (a group of stars on the face of the Bull) being the Little Camels; and it was Tali al Najm and Hadi al Najm, equivalents of the Stella Dominatrix of classical ages, as if driving the Pleiades before it (Pleiades are a group of stars on the shoulders of the Bull). Indeed in the last century Niebuhr heard the synonymous Saik al Thurayya on the Arabian shores of the Persian Gulf. A later name was Ain al Thaur,— which Western astronomers corrupted to Atin and Hain Altor,— identical with Greek Omma Boos, Latin Oculus Tauri, and the early English Bull's Eye, even now a common title.

The Italian astronomer Riccioli (1598-1671) gave this more definitely as Oculus australis ("southern eye"), and Aben Ezra as the left Eye [it is on the bull's right eye]. Aldebaran was the divine star in the worship of the tribe Misam, who thought that it brought rain, and that its heliacal rising unattended by showers portended a barren year. The Hindu Rohini, a Red Deer, used also for the nakshatra ( Hindu Moon Mansion ) in Scorpio marked by Antares , was unquestionably from the star's ruddy hue, Leonard Digges writing, in his Prognostication for 1555, that it is "ever a meate rodde [red]"; and the Alfonsine Tables had quae trahit ad aerem clarum valde — est ut cerea.

Palilicium [Allen notes: This word is from Palilia, or Parilia, the feast of Pales,— the Latin shepherds' divinity and their feminine form of Pan,— which marked the birthday of Rome the 21st of April, when this star vanished in the twilight], in various orthography, but correctly Parilicium, used for the whole group of the Hyades, descended as a special designation for Aldebaran through all the catalogues to Flamsteed's, where it is exclusively used. Columella called it Sucula as chief of the peasants' Suculae. Ptolemy's Lampadias, Torch-bearer, was Lampauras in Proclus' Paraphrase. The 1603 and 1720 editions of the 17th century German astronomer Bayer's Uranometria distinctly terminate their lists of Aldebaran's titles with the words Subruffa and Aben Ezra; but the 17th century German astronomer Bayer's star-names are often by no means clear, and here incorrect.

The latter of these is merely the name of the famous Jewish commentator to whom he often refers; and the former a designation of the light red color (Subrufa) { p.385 } of the star which we all recognize. Some poet has written "red Aldebaran burns"; and William Roscoe Thayer, in his Halid: "I saw on a minaret's tip Aldebaran like a ruby aflame, then leisurely slip Into the black horizon's bowl." In all astrology it has been thought eminently fortunate, portending riches and honor; and was one of the four Royal Stars, or Guardians of the Sky, of Persia, 5000 years ago, when it marked the vernal equinox. As such Flammarion quoted its title Taschter, which Lenormant said signified the Creator Spirit that caused rain and deluge; but a different conception of these Guardian Stars among the Hindus is noted under Argo , and still another is given by Edkins, who makes Aldebaran Sataves, the leader of the western stars.

Flammarion has assigned to it the Hebrew Aleph that we have seen for Taurus , rendering it God's Eye; and Aben Ezra identified it with the biblical Kimah, probably in connection with all the Hyades and as being directly opposed on the sphere to Kesil which he claimed for Antares (this star Aldebaran lies directly across the zodiac from Antares, but Kesil is believed to be Orion). Sharing everywhere in the prominence given to its constellation, this was especially the case in Babylonian astronomy, where it marked the 5th ecliptic asterism Pidnu-sha-Shame, the Furrow of Heaven, perhaps representing the whole zodiac, and analogous to the Hebrew and Arabic Padan and Fadan, the Furrow. So that, before the Ram had taken the Bull's place as Leader of the Signs, Aldebaran was Ku, I-ku, or I-ku-u, the Leading Star of Stars.

Still more anciently it was the Akkadian Gis-da, also rendered the "Furrow of Heaven"; and Dil-gan, the Messenger of Light, — this, as we have seen, being applied to Hamal , Capella , Wega ( Vega ), and perhaps to other bright stars, as their positions changed with respect to the equinox. In the same way the Syriac word Iyutha, which we have seen for the star Capella , seems to have been used also for Aldebaran. As marking the lunar station it was the Persian Paha and the Khorasmian (east of Persia)-Sogdian Bahara, signifying the Follower. The Italian astronomer Riccioli (1598-1671) cited, from Coptic people of Egypt, (Greek) Piorion, (Latin) Statio Hori; and Renouf identified Aldebaran with the indigenous Nile figure Sarit. An old Bohemian title is Hrusa. The Hervey Islanders associated it as Aumea, with Sirius in their legend of the Pleiades.

The Persian astronomer Al Biruni (973-1048 A.D.) quoted strange Arabic titles for the comparatively vacant space { p.386 } westward towards the Pleiades (a group of stars on the shoulders of the Bull),— Al Daika, Growing Small, i.e. from its rapid setting, and Kalb al Dabaran, the Dog of Aldebaran,— asserting that it was considered a place of evil omen. But there seems to have been dispute as to its location, for he added that those authors were wrong who marked this Dog by the 21st and 22d stars of Taurus ,— kappa (κ) and nu. Aldebaran is but slightly south of the ecliptic, and, lying in the moon's path, is frequently occulted, thus often showing the optical illusion of projection. As one of the lunar stars it is much used in navigation. Aldebaran comes to the meridian on the 10th of January. The Taurids of the 20th of November radiate from a point north of, and preceding, this star.

These meteors "are slow, and fireballs occasionally appear among them." [ Star Names , Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889]. Aldebaran is the Greek Omma Boos, Latin Oculus Tauri, and the early English Bull's Eye. "Bull's-eye" is what we call "the centre of a target, which usually carries the highest score", and "a precise or highly effective achievement" The great "red giant", war-like Aldebaran is one of the four "Guardians of Heaven" - sentinels watching over other stars. It formed one of the four royal stars of Persia as "Watcher of the East". These were also called archangel stars; this star Aldebaran was Michael - Military Commander of the Heavenly Host. The others were; Gabriel ( Fomalhaut ) Watcher of the South; Raphael ( Regulus ) Watcher of the North; Uriel ( Antares ) Watcher of the West. At one time they marked the two Equinoxes and two Solstices.

Aldebaran marked the zero Aries point in 3044 BC, Antares marked zero Libra 3052 BC, Fomalhaut marked zero Capricornus, 2582 BC, Regulus marked zero Cancer 2345 BC. [The angel associations come from Eric Morse, The Living Stars , p.35. Allen's explanation of these four stars on p.256 of Star Names] These four stars have been characterized as Horses, reflected both in the famed Four Horsemen of Apocalypse (Revelations 6) and Chariot Horses in the Book of Zechariah - [Dr Eric Morse, The Living Stars , p.56.] The Lunar Mansions Aldebaran marked the 2nd manzil, or Arabic Moon Mansion , Al Dabaran, The Follower. Influences of the 2nd Arabic Moon Mansion Al Dabaran: Causes the destruction and hindrances of buildings, fountains, wells, gold mines, the flight of creeping things, and begets discord. With Moon transiting here: pursue business, travel, marry and take medicine.

[Robson * , p.70.] Aldebaran marked the Hindu Rohini, a Red Deer, used also for the 2nd nakshatra, or Hindu Moon Mansion . Symbol, a Temple or Wagon Regent, Prajapati, the creator. Influences of the 2nd Hindu Moon Mansion Rohini: Ruled by the Moon. A stable asterism belonging to the Shudra caste (laborers, craftsmen, service professions) and favorable for coronations, expiatory ceremonies, planting of trees, sowing of seeds, building of towns, and matters of a permanent nature when containing the Moon. Those born on the lunar day will be devout, rich, merchants, rulers, drivers, possessed of wealth and cattle. With Moon here at birth native will be truthful, polite, steady, handsome, cleanly and uncovetous. Rules vinegar pots and the forehead. [Robson * , p.76.] The astrological influences of the constellation Taurus Legend: Jupiter, assuming the form of a bull, mingled with the herd when Europa, with whom he was infatuated, and her maidens disported themselves on the sea-shore.

Encouraged by the tameness of the bull Europa mounted it, whereupon the God rushed into the sea and bore her away to Crete. According to other accounts Taurus represents Io whom Jupiter turned into a cow in order to deceive his wife Juno. [Robson * , p.62-63.] Influences: Ptolemy makes the following observations: "Those stars in Taurus which are in the abscission of the sign resemble in their temperament the influence of Venus, and in some degree that of Saturn . . . the stars in the head (except Aldebaran) resemble Saturn, and, partly, Mercury; and those at the top of the horns are like Mars." By the Kabalists Taurus is associated with the Hebrew letter Aleph and the 1st Tarot Trump "The Juggler." In all the ancient Zodiacs, Taurus is the beginning sign and marked the Vernal Equinox from about 4,000 to 1,700 B.C.

[Robson * , p.63.] The astrological influences of the constellation Taurus given by Manilius: "The Bull will dower the countryside with honest farmers and will come as a source of toil into their peaceful lives; it will bestow, not gifts of glory, but the fruits of the earth. It bows its neck amid the stars and of itself demands a yoke for its shoulders. When it carries the sun's orb on its horns, it bids battle with the soil begin and rouses the fallow land to its former cultivation, itself leading the work, for it neither pauses in the furrows nor relaxes its breast in the dust. The sign of the Bull has produced a Serranus and a Curius, has carried the rods of office through the fields, and has left its plough to become a dictator [eque suo dictator venit aratro]. Its sons have the love of unsung excellence: their hearts and bodies derive strength from a massiveness that is slow to move, whilst in their faces dwells the boy-god Love (Cupido)." [ Astronomica , Manilius, 1st century AD, book 4, p.233].

The astrological influences of the star Aldebaran It gives honor, intelligence, eloquence, steadfastness, integrity, popularity, courage, ferocity, a tendency to sedition, a responsible position, public honors and gain of power and wealth through others, but its benefits seldom prove lasting and there is also danger of violence and sickness. [Robson * , p.120.] Aldebaran has been in the sign Gemini since 1286 AD, just around the height of the Christian Crusades against Islam, an interesting indicator of conflict between two world schools of thought. Antares, for the other side in the conflict, went into religious Sagittarius in 1272 AD and showed its superiority, perhaps, since the Crusaders never did dislodge the Saracens. [ The Living Stars , Dr. Eric Morse, p.36.] Catastrophe by weather conditions, floods, shipwrecks. Acknowledged and leading position, but will make enemies through whom danger will threaten. Extraordinary energy.

[ Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation , Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.30.] If Rising, and in conjunction with the Moon, a good fellow, but if in conjunction with both the Lord of the Ascendant and the Moon it denotes a murderer, especially if the lord of the Ascendant is a masculine planet and the Sun is at the same time afflicted. [Robson * , p.120.] If culminating: Honor, preferment, good fortune and favors from women. [Robson * , p.120.] With Sun: Great energy and perseverance, high material honors but danger of losing them, danger from quarrels and the law, honor and riches ending in disgrace and ruin, liable to disease, fevers and a violent death. If in conjunction with both Sun and Mars, great liability to pestilential fevers. [Robson * , p.120.] With Moon: Favorable for business, honor and credit, especially if in the 1st or 10th house, but danger of calamity. Favorable for domestic, public and religious matters; danger of a violent death.

If at the same time Mars or Saturn is with Antares (opposite) the native is liable to be hanged or killed by a sword thrust. [Robson * , p.120.] With Sun or Moon, culminating or rising: Great honor through violence with difficulties and casualties. [Robson * , p.121.] With Mercury: Affects the health and domestic affairs, prominence through mercurial matters, material gain, and many learned friends. [Robson * , p.121.] With Venus: Honor through literature, music or art, creative abilities, favorable for health and marriage. [Robson * , p.121.] Power directed wrongly. Abnormalities in love life. [ Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation , Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.30.] With Mars: Great military preferment but attended by much danger; liable to accidents, fevers and a violent death. If at the same time the Moon is with Antares, especially in an angle, death will come through a stab, blow or fall. [Robson * , p.121.] With Jupiter: Great ecclesiastical honor and high military preferment.

[Robson * , p.121.] With Saturn: Great afflictions, strange mind, great wickedness, sarcasm, eloquence, good memory, studious and retiring nature, legal abilities, domestic and material success, losses through mercurial friends. If at the same time the Moon is with Antares there will be a violent death, probably by hanging. [Robson * , p.121.] Danger and loss through floods storms shipwreck or drowning, Saturn if afflicted. [ Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation , Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.31.] With Uranus: Scientific, a nature lover, critical, just, domestic and political success, public honors, fond of occultism but may meet with disfavor through it, lingering death. [Robson * , p.121.] With Neptune: Connected with science, art, occultism and mediumship, good intellect, loss through fire, electricity or speculation, but gain through metals, military or scientific instruments, especially if Mars is strong; many journeys, obstacles to domestic happiness, unfavorable for children, danger of accidents and sudden death.

[Robson * , p.121.] References: Aldebaran | star | Britannica.com Aldebaran Betelgeuse Aldebaran, ( Arabic: “The Follower”) also called Alpha Tauri, reddish giant star in the constellation Taurus . Aldebaran is one of the 15 brightest stars, with an apparent visual magnitude of 0.85. Its diameter is 44 times that of the Sun . It is accompanied by a very faint (13th magnitude) red companion star. Aldebaran lies 65 light-years from Earth . The star was once thought to be a member of the Hyades cluster , but in fact Aldebaran is 85 light-years closer to Earth. Aldebaran was probably named “The Follower” because it rises after the Pleiades cluster of stars. Learn More in these related articles: star (astronomy) any massive self-luminous celestial body of gas that shines by radiation derived from its internal energy sources. Of the tens of billions of trillions of stars composing the observable universe, only a very small percentage are visible to the naked eye. Many stars occur in pairs, multiple systems,...

constellation in astronomy, any of certain groupings of stars that were imagined—at least by those who named them—to form conspicuous configurations of objects or creatures in the sky. Constellations are useful in tracking artificial satellites and in assisting astronomers and navigators to locate... Taurus in astronomy, zodiacal constellation lying in the northern sky between Aries and Gemini, at about 4 hours 20 minutes right ascension and 16° north declination. The constellation’s brightest star, Aldebaran (Arabic for “the follower”; also called Alpha Tauri), is the 14th... 5 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References stars of the Hyades (in Hyades (astronomy) ) Taurus constellation (in Taurus ) Aldebaran - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) the 13th brightest star in the sky, and one of the 57 stars of celestial navigation. The alpha, or brightest, star in the constellation Taurus, Aldebaran is visible from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres from late fall through late spring and is highest in the sky at a 10:00 PM observation on January 15.

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Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: February 20, 2009 URL: Access Date: January 18, 2017 Share HIGHLIGHTS ~ ALDEBARAN Aldebaran, "The Eye of Illumination" Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull, rises in the fall at sunset, and is the thirteenth brightest star in the sky. Its name comes from the Arabic Al Dabaran, the Follower, because Aldebaran appears to follow the Pleiades through the night sky. As the Eye of the Bull, Aldebaran is called the Eye of Revelation. It is referred to by astronomers and cosmologists as the Eastern Royal Star , one of the four Royal Stars considered the sentinels watching over other stars. It is also known as the Buddhas star, the Star of Illumination, and Gods Eye.

This magnificent star has been used for centuries in navigation, and is known by many civilizations to be connected with the spirits of rain and the fertility of the earth. Approximately 5,000 years ago, the rising of Aldebaran marked the vernal equinox ( 1 ) and marked the beginning of the Babylonian new year. Taurus is often associated with royalty and divine power. Throughout the ages Aldebaran has been spiritually recognized for its alignment with divinity. "... there is a symbolic relation between Aldebaran, the "eye" in the head of the Bull; the third eye, or the light in the head, and the diamond. The consciousness of the Buddha has been called the 'diamond-eye.'" ( 2 ) The Hindus referred to Aldebaran and Taurus as Rohini (the Red Deer), the name of the river in Nepal where the Buddha was born at the time of the May full moon , around 563 BCE. Another Hindu name for Aldebaran is Sataves, which translates to the "leader of the western stars." Pale reddish-orange in color, Aldebaran has a companion red dwarf star that shares its motion throughout space.

Located slightly south of the ecliptic, in the path of our earths moon, Aldebaran has a magnitude of 1.2 and is one of the few 1st magnitude stars the moon may occult . Approximately 40 times the size of our sun, Aldebaran is 68 light years from the Earth, and is about 3 times the brilliance of Polaris, our current North Star. In addition to the star Aldebaran, there are two other very beautiful and famous star clusters in the constellation of Taurus: the V-shaped Hyades at the head of the bull, and the Pleiades in the shoulder. To locate Aldebaran or Taurus, follow the line of the three stars that make up the belt of Orion; they point directly west toward Aldebaran. Look up during the fall and winter months just after sunset, and youll see Orions Belt and Aldebaran rising in the east, traveling in a northwesterly direction. Aldebaran, the star of illumination, is directly across the zodiac from Antares , the star of anger, pride and revenge.

In the only exact opposition of two major stars; Aldebaran is located at 9 degrees of the sign Gemini, with Antares at 9 degrees of the sign Sagittarius. Aldebaran is said to be a portal to the mysteries of the mind and when balanced with the fixed star Antares, a portal to the mysteries of the heart, this creates a powerful stargate axis that is illuminated bi-annally when the Sun passes by Aldebaran at the first of June and then Antares about six months later. Recently Pluto passed through the constellation of Scorpio and conjoined Antares, also known for its transformative qualities. Pluto visits Scorpio only once every 248 years. During its sweep through this part of the zodiac, Plutos orbit brings it closer to the Sun than Neptune for approximately 20 years. Pluto is a dynamic force of creation and destruction. Pluto, the first ray planet of will power and purpose in our solar system assists in the destruction of the lower desires so that more highly evolved qualities can be expressed by the human being. In the destruction of old forms ~ be they physical, astral or mental ~ Pluto literally changes their atomic structure.

Pluto causes major changes and forces the transcendence of personal desires into a more universal orientation. Pluto is the planet of death and rebirth. It personifies the destruction of things whose time has come to an end, and the regeneration of what is new. It is like decaying autumn leaves becoming nutrients for the spring; the caterpillar changing into a butterfly. It is the transformer that stimulates and catalyzes the Will . For more about Pluto and the quality of Transformation, click here . This rare cosmic event of Pluto's having passed by Antares is significant, as it was also directly opposed to Aldebaran, the Buddhas star of Revelation and Illumination. This brought an opportunity for humanity as a whole to evolve the energies of conflict, anger, pride and revenge, as we had the opportunity to call upon the qualities of Revelation and Illumination to work with the energies of Pluto on Antares toward bringing about transformation and evolution : In stellar myth, Aldebaran is Vision Holder for the starseed mission on Earth, defining what emissaries of light can best accomplish to serve humanity through evolutionary transition.

In down to Earth terms, Aldebaran holds the vision for global leaders and world servers, inspiring the administrative planning of world affairs, specifically for physical logistics and a global infrastructure designed to support humanity through evolutionary unfoldment and global change. Prominent alignments with the Aldebaran / Antares axis can express into the political and global arena. The visions that many people attune to regarding alternative living centres, educational centres, emergency preparedness programmes, etc., are parts of the inspiration from this star’s emanations. Aldebaran can indicate involvement with physical places and projects supportive of alternative modalities of living. It inspires business that supports family. Aldebaran inspires us to take the physical action required to manifest our visions. - Nick Anthony Fiorenza, The Lunar Planner In the sign of Taurus, when desire is transmuted into aspiration , darkness gives place to light and illumination . The eye of the bull, the spiritual third eye or the "single eye" of the New Testament, is opened. "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light," said the Christ (Matthew 6:22). This single eye takes the place of the two eyes of the personal self.

( 3 ) As the attention of humanity becomes focused upon spiritual attainment, we tread the Way of Revelation . Life is filled with revelation. The entire evolutionary process is essentially nothing but a growing revelation. The two concepts Evolution and Revelation go together. As we evolve, we perceive more than we ever knew was existent or perceptible, yet we are only perceiving what has always been there. The Way of Revelation is through the discovering and discarding of our own limitations. ( 4 ) Revelation, as defined by The Dictionary of Scripture and Myth, is a "symbolic communication from the higher nature to the lower, imparting truths of the invisible universe and the soul. As revelation does not and can not arise from the lower nature, it is self-evident that the lower or objective mind of man does not compose the revelation, but is merely the receptive vessel into which the Divine message is poured." Revelation is related to God Immanent, to God in form, to God in the human heart, and to that veiled and hidden Supreme Reality motivating all existence ~ forever consciously aware of Itself. Revelation is a progress of penetration. First into the Mind, then into the Heart , and finally into the Purpose of Deity.

( 5 ) As the star of illumination, Aldebaran irradiates the Way using the applied power of transformation. In seeking illumination, we can cultivate the ability to use the mind as a reflector of soul light. ( 6 ) An increased understanding about the process of revelation may help us comprehend the quality and significance of Aldebaran. "Angel of Healing" © Aeoliah One way we receive revelation is through contact with the soul . The more consciously we desire, demand and will such contact, the closer we are to receiving the next needed revelation. How clearly we perceive the revelation depends on our ability to still the mind and listen to the voice within. One of the most difficult aspects of our service is to understand correctly the precipitating truth, information or revelation that is being impressed. We need time to absorb the revelation and incorporate it into a useful present time form. How does one become a living example of this divine understanding and better understand the significance of the star Aldebaran? One suggestion is to meditate on the triangle created by the Pleiades , the Great Bear , and our solar system . Based on image "Music of the Spheres" by Bernard Xolotl Imagine the pathway the energy follows to reach our Earth.

See the energy of the Will as a brilliant golden light emanating from the constellation the Great Bear. Visualize this light flowing to one of the seven stars of the Pleiades, observe the star it is naturally magnetized toward. Know the energy is being slowly stepped down in vibration as it reaches this star. Watch it leave the Pleiades and enter into our solar system. Visualize Aldebaran, the star of illumination, focusing like a lens the light force, Fohat , the Active Intelligence, to the Earths North Pole. Then see this force being absorbed by the Soul of Humanity. Visualize a golden thread of light entering the top of your head, and open to receive revelations and insights about your purpose in the divine Plan . When the energy of the light force is released to nations, races and individuals it produces two effects: the increase of the self-will, demonstrating as cleavages, separate desires, goals, or ideas of a nation, state, family or the individual, without regard for the need of the whole. The second effect stimulates the Will-to-Serve the Plan, the whole, and produces unity and harmony, beneficial to the entire process of evolution.

Besides Aldebaran, the other three Royal Stars in the heavens are Antares in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion, the Western Royal Star, Regulus in the constellation Leo the Lion, the Northern Royal Star, and Fomalhaut in the constellation Pisces Austrinus, the Southern Fish (very close to the constellation Aquarius), the Southern Royal Star. [ Return to place text above ] Credit for information and synthesis: Triangle meditation inspired by Alice A. Bailey's Esoteric Astrology , p. 376–377; Astronomical sources include by Ian Ridpath, Universe Books, New York, 1988; Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Vol. III, p. 18071817 by Robert Burhnam Jr., Dover Publications, Inc., New York © 1966, 1978; and various astronomy websites

Question: In which constellation is Aldebaran the brightest star?
Answer: Taurus