Aldebaran Quiz: The Red Eye of Taurus the Bull

This Aldebaran quiz looks up at the orange giant that glows in Taurus. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on finding it, its color and type, distance, size, the meaning of its name, the Hyades V it seems to sit in, the Pleiades, Persian royal stars, Pioneer 10's path and lunar occultations.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Constellation
Which constellation is Aldebaran in?
Eye
Which part of the bull does Aldebaran mark?
Type
What kind of star is Aldebaran?
Distance
About how far away is Aldebaran?
Size
About how many times wider than the Sun is it?
Name
What does the Arabic name Aldebaran mean?
Hyades
Is Aldebaran a member of the Hyades cluster?
Royal
Which ancient group of stars is Aldebaran part of?
Probe
Which spacecraft is traveling roughly toward Aldebaran?
Moon
What sometimes passes in front of Aldebaran?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which constellation is Aldebaran in?
Answer: Taurus
It is the brightest star there.
Q2: Which part of the bull does Aldebaran mark?
Answer: The eye
It glows orange-red.
Q3: What kind of star is Aldebaran?
Answer: An orange giant
It has swollen as it ages.
Q4: About how far away is Aldebaran?
Answer: About 65 light-years
It is fairly nearby.
Q5: About how many times wider than the Sun is it?
Answer: About 44 times
Its surface is cooler.
Q6: What does the Arabic name Aldebaran mean?
Answer: The follower
It follows the Pleiades across the sky.
Q7: Is Aldebaran a member of the Hyades cluster?
Answer: No, it is much closer
It only appears in the V.
Q8: Which ancient group of stars is Aldebaran part of?
Answer: The royal stars of Persia
It was the Watcher of the East.
Q9: Which spacecraft is traveling roughly toward Aldebaran?
Answer: Pioneer 10
It would take about two million years.
Q10: What sometimes passes in front of Aldebaran?
Answer: The Moon
These events are called occultations.

Aldebaran Quiz – The Red Eye of Taurus the Bull

Aldebaran is the brightest star in Taurus, glowing orange as the eye of the bull. It is an orange giant about 65 light-years away and roughly 44 times wider than the Sun.

Its Arabic name means the follower, because it seems to follow the Pleiades across the sky. It appears to sit in the V-shaped Hyades cluster but is much closer to us and not a true member.

Ancient Persians counted it among the four royal stars, calling it the Watcher of the East. Pioneer 10 is heading roughly in its direction, and the Moon sometimes passes in front of it.

What This Quiz Teaches

Astronomy fans will enjoy these questions.

Where to find it
What kind of star it is
What its name means
How it relates to nearby stars
What passes near it

Did You Know?

Aldebaran is easy to find by following Orion's belt upward.
It is one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
Its color comes from a cooler surface.
It may have a planet, though this is debated.
Winter evenings are a great time to see it in the north.