Aldebaran (HIP 21421)
Aldebaran is an orange giant star in the constellation Taurus. At 67 light years away, it is the 14th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 0.87. Aldebaran is the primary component of a multiple-star system. The iron abundance of Aldebaran is -0.17 (67.6% of the Sun). It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 57.6 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 20,100 and 28,000 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It came closest to the Sun 327,000 years ago when it had brightened to magnitude -1.50 from a distance of 22.3 light years.
Sky position: RA 4h 35.9m, Dec +16° 30.6'
