Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

aldebaran

 - 5 dictionary results

Al⋅deb⋅a⋅ran

  [al-deb-er-uhn]
Use aldebaran in a Sentence
–noun
a first-magnitude star, orange in color, in the constellation Taurus.
Origin:
< Ar al the + dabarān follower (of the Pleiades)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To aldebaran
Al·deb·a·ran   (āl-děb'ər-ən)   
n.  A double star in the constellation Taurus, 68 light-years from Earth, and one of the brightest stars in the sky.

[Middle English Aldeboran, from Medieval Latin Aldebaran, from Arabic ad-dabarān : al-, the + dabarān, following (the Pleiades) (from dabara, to follow; see dpr in Semitic roots).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

Aldebaran 
bright star in Taurus, 16c., from Arabic Al Dabaran "the follower" (of the Pleiades, which rise shortly before it does), from dabara "he followed."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
Aldebaran   (āl-děb'ər-ən)  Pronunciation Key 
A red giant star in the constellation Taurus. Aldebaran is the thirteenth brightest star in the sky, with an apparent magnitude of 0.85. Scientific name: Alpha Tauri.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

Aldebaran

reddish giant star in the constellation Taurus. Aldebaran is one of the 15 brightest stars, with an apparent visual magnitude of 0.86. Its diameter is approximately 50 times that of the Sun. It is accompanied by a very faint (13th magnitude) red companion star. Aldebaran lies about 65 light-years from the 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 about Aldebaran with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see aldebaran on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way