Star Aldebaran

In the middle of the Hyades star cluster you can find the star Aldebaran. However, with a distance of 65 light-years, it does not belong to the Hyades cluster. Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus.

Facts about Aldebaran

Aldebaran has an apparent brightness of 0.86 mag and glows clearly reddish, which is why it is considered as a red giant. Furthermore, it has spectral class K5 and its brightness fluctuates around 0.2 mag at irregular intervals, which is due to the fact that Aldebaran pulsates. Furthermore, Aldebaran is 45 times larger than the sun and has 2.5 times more mass than the sun. Moreover, it shines 150 times brighter. This can be attributed to the large surface area of Aldebaran, since large surfaces emit considerably more light than small ones. The temperature of the surface of Aldebaran is 4,100 Kelvin. Additionally, Aldebaran has a small companion star, which is a red dwarf of the spectral class M2.

Visibility of Aldebaran

The star Aldebaran can be best observed in October in the evening sky. Aldebaran lies near the ecliptic. Occasionally the moon glides between the earth and Aldebaran, so it is not visible for a short time. This spectacle is visible from the northern hemisphere in early autumn.