Aldébaran vs Antarès
Real luminosity separates the pair by a factor of about 58: absolute magnitude −5.09 for Antarès, −0.68 for Aldébaran. Antarès trails in apparent brightness at magnitude +1.06 against +0.87, leaving Aldébaran around 1.2 times the brighter target. Their distances stand at 66.6 and 554 light-years, putting Antarès 8.3 times deeper in the field.
Property comparison
| Property | Aldébaran | Antarès |
|---|---|---|
| Désignation | 87Alp Tau | 21Alp Sco |
| Constellation | Taurus | Scorpius |
| Classe Spectrale | Class K — K-type (Orange) | Class M — M-type (Red) |
| Magnitude Apparente | +0.87 | +1.06 |
| Magnitude Absolue | -0.68 | -5.09 |
| Distance | 66.6 ly | 554 ly |
| Masse | N/A | N/A |
| Rayon | N/A | N/A |
| Température | N/A | N/A |
| Luminosité | N/A | N/A |
Full data for each star: Aldébaran · Antarès
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.