Also called Alpha Tauri, It is
a is a binary star system located around 65.1 light-years (ly) from Sol.
The star system lies in the central part of the
constellation Taurus as seen from Earth.
Aldebaran A is a orange-red giant star of spectral
and luminosity type K5 III. The star may have a
mass similar to Sol's but around 40 to 52 times
its diameter -- (this would extend halfway to the
planet Mercury in the Solar System so that it would
be 20 degrees across if it were in Earth's skies).
Aldebaran A (a first magnitude star) is the 13th
brightest star in Earth's night sky, with an apparent
visual magnitude of 0.86.
The discovery has yet to be confirmed, but in 1997,
a team of astronomers announced the discovery
of a a possible large planet (or small brown dwarf)
companion. It has been designated Aldebaran "b"
and has a minimum mass of 11 Jupiters and
an orbiting at a distance of 1.35 AU.
Alpha Tauri B, the other star in this binary system,
is an M2 red dwarf that is separated from
Aldebaran A by about 607 AUs. It is very faint
as seen from Earth (13th magnitude).
Music Academy - When he was seventeen O'Brien's
father sent a recorded audition of his son
playing the cello to the
Aldebaran Music Academy. He was accepted. But O'Brien didn't
want
to go. Two days before
he was due to leave, O'Brien went into town and signed up for Starfleet
instead.
"Shadowplay" [DS9]
Drum set - Phlox loaned
an Aldebaran drum set to Groznik, his first wife's third husband.
He
gave the set to him in his
will. "Zero Hour" [ENT]
Aldebaran Exchange - A move Riker makes
to finish off his chess game with Nibor in Ten-Forward.
"Menage a Troi" [TNG]
Mud leeches -
Aldebaran mud leeches are black worm-shapes about 10cm long which secrete
a natural
sedative. According
to Phlox, you should place one each on the chest and abdomen an hour before
going to sleep; but don't
roll over, lest you anger them.
"Anomaly" [ENT]
Serpent - Q appeared as an Aldebaran
serpent.
"Hide and Q" [TNG]
Shell mouth - McCoy called Spock "...
as tight-lipped as an Aldebaran shell mouth."
"Amok Time" [TOS]
Whiskey - A green alcoholic beverage.
Picard gave a bottle of it to Guinan. Mr. Scott ended up
with it. They drank
some together on the holodeck.
"Relics" [TNG]
Quark found a bottle of
Aldebaran whiskey in Rom's quarters. He could tell it was from his
private stock from the label.
"Prophet Motive" [DS9]
Dr. Dehner joined the NCC-1701 Enterprise at
the Aldebaran colony.
"Where No Man Has Gone Before" [TOS]
Ira Graves had planned to commandeer the Enterprise
and take it to Aldebaran.
"Schizoid Man" [TNG]
The Nagus' nephew Belongo was being held by the Starfleet
authorities on Aldebaran 3. The
Nagus asked Sisko to see
what he could do to clear up the "misunderstanding".
"Past Tense, part 1" [DS9]
The Enterprise-D set course for Aldebaran
Zeta after their mission to Daled IV.
"The Dauphin" [TNG]
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