Aldebaran

420 L ☉

Aldebaran ( α Tauri ) is a star in the constellation Taurus.

The name comes from Arabic الدبران, DMG ad Dabarān and means of the ( post-) following, because the star appears to follow the Pleiades in the sky.

He is a member of Wintersechsecks and is located in open clusters Hyades, to which he does not count as a physical member. Other names Cor Tauri ( Heart of the Bull ), Parilicium and Palilicium. With an apparent magnitude of 0.87 like he is in 14th place of the seen from the Earth 's brightest stars.

Properties

Aldebaran is a planetary system in about 67 light-years (20 parsecs ) away. The main star is a red giant of spectral type K5 and luminosity class III. He is having an irregular period with a brightness variation of 0.2 may slightly vary.

The companion is a red dwarf star of spectral type M2. The apparent magnitude is 0.87 like the absolute brightness like -0.71. It is also striking for the observer freiäugigen its red color (see color index ). Aldebarans diameter exceeds the sun by almost 45 times, but he has 2.5 times more massive than this, but 150 times as bright lights

Coverages

Aldebaran can be covered as ekliptiknaher star from the moon. The most recent of these coverages was observed on 26 January 1999, the next occultation will take place on 5 September 2015. Occultations by planets of our solar system will not take place because of the location of their railway junction until further notice, as they happen Aldebaran currently north.

Others

When the probe Pioneer 10 maintains its current course, it will arrive in about 2 million years in the solar system of Aldebaran.