Aldebaran vs Antares
Real luminosity separates the pair by a factor of about 58: absolute magnitude −5.09 for Antares, −0.68 for Aldebaran. Antares trails in apparent brightness at magnitude +1.06 against +0.87, leaving Aldebaran around 1.2 times the brighter target. Their distances stand at 66.6 and 554 light-years, putting Antares 8.3 times deeper in the field.
Property comparison
| Property | Aldebaran | Antares |
|---|---|---|
| Designation | 87Alp Tau | 21Alp Sco |
| Constellation | Taurus | Scorpius |
| Spectral Class | Class K — K-type (Orange) | Class M — M-type (Red) |
| Apparent Magnitude | +0.87 | +1.06 |
| Absolute Magnitude | -0.68 | -5.09 |
| Distance | 66.6 ly | 554 ly |
| Mass | N/A | N/A |
| Radius | N/A | N/A |
| Temperature | N/A | N/A |
| Luminosity | N/A | N/A |
Full data for each star: Aldebaran · Antares
Key differences
Key Differences
- ◆ Both are prominent red giant/supergiant stars that appear orange-red in the sky and are often compared.
- ◆ Antares is a true red supergiant at ~680 R☉; Aldebaran is a more modest orange giant at ~44 R☉.
- ◆ Antares is about 604 light-years away; Aldebaran is much closer at ~65 light-years.
- ◆ Antares is a supernova candidate; Aldebaran is not massive enough to end as a supernova.
- ◆ Aldebaran appears to be in the Hyades cluster but is actually an unrelated foreground star.