Aldebaran (Star)

Aldebaran, as seen from the Cassini spacecraft
as it studied the rings of Saturn
Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Original image can be found by following this link.

Overview

Alpha Tauri, better known as Aldebaran (from the Arabic Al Babaran, "The Follower" of the Pleiades ^[1]) is an orange-red giant in the constellation of Taurus the bull and is sometimes coined as the bull's bloodshot eye.

Observing Aldebaran

Aldebaran can seen due south in mid-December in the northern hemisphere and can be found by using Orion's Belt as a pointer and drawing an imaginary line, in your mind's eye, that points north-west from the belt. You will then come to a 'V-shaped' asterism, the star cluster Hyades. Aldebaran is the bright orange-red star which forms one of the tips of the 'V' in the Hyades.

Aldebaran's position within the constellation Taurus (circled red)
Credit: K. R. Carr/Stellarium

Aldebaran and the Hyades

Aldebaran is not actually a true member of the Hyades as it is located at about half the distance from us compared to the 151 light years distance of the true cluster.

How to find Aldebaran

Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus is a bright orange star in the winter night skies and although similar in appearance to Betelgeuse in Orion it is not as bright. If there is any doubt find the three stars of Orion's Belt (Alnitak, Anilam and Mintaka) and follow a line through them in a northwesterly direction until you come a bright orange star, this is Aldebaran.