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The planetary systems of stars other than the Sun and the Solar System are a staple element in much science fiction. Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) is an orange giant star in the constellation Taurus that is frequently featured in works of science fiction (see size comparison). It is classified as a type K5III star, with the corresponding suggestion that it has a stable habitable zone and is well suited for life. There have been claims by astronomers using radial velocity measurements that Aldebaran hosts a planetary system with at least one substellar companion, but none of these has been confirmed as of 2013. Aldebaran is a popular subject for ancient myths in multiple cultures (Inuit, Mexican, Native American) and, in more recent times, the mythologizing of science fiction. ==General uses of Aldebaran== Aldebaran may be referred to in fictional works for its metaphorical (meta) or mythological (myth) associations, or else as a bright point of light in the sky of the Earth, but not as a location in space or the center of a planetary system: * ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1874), novel by Thomas Hardy. Aldebaran makes several appearances in this book, first as a companion of other prominent stars (''The kingly brilliancy of Sirius pierced the eye with a steely glitter, the star called Capella was yellow, ''Aldebaran'' and Betelgeuse shone with a fiery red.''), then as the follower of the Pleiades (''The Dog Star and'' Aldebaran'', pointing to the restless Pleiades...''). (sky) * ''Tess of the d'Urbervilles'' (1891), novel by Thomas Hardy. Tess sits with her new husband Angel before the embers of a fire, and her jewelry sparkles in its crimson glare: ''Tess's face and neck reflected the ... warmth, with each gem turned into an ''Aldebaran'' or a Sirius—a constellation of red, white, and green flashes, that interchanged their hues with her every pulsation.'' (compare Sirius and Aldebaran in ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' above) (meta) * ''Ulysses'' (1922), novel by James Joyce. In the novel, protagonist Leopold Bloom is engaging in a convoluted exchange of seeming non sequiturs with his friends, in the course of which he declaims a poem that appears to be assembled from abbreviations and Latinisms from a medical prescription. Chris Callinan responds to that with, "What is the parallax of the subsolar ecliptic of ''Aldebaran''?" and Bloom replies "Pleased to hear from you, Chris. K. II." (meta, sky) * ''Down and Out in Paris and London'' (1933), semi-autobiographical novel by George Orwell. In the novel's second half, Orwell describes the life of a vagrant in and around London. One of his acquaintances is the pavement artist Bozo who, despite his reduced condition, has a literary education and an interest in astronomy scholarship. The novel's narrator describes a walk they take together: ''() fell silent for a minute or two, and to my surprise I saw that he was looking at the stars. He touched my arm and pointed to the sky with his stick. "Say, will you look at ''Aldebaran''. Look at the color. Like a great blood orange!" From the way he spoke he might have been an art critic in a picture gallery. I was astonished. I confessed that I did not know which Aldebaran was—indeed, I had never even noticed that the stars were of different colors ...'' (sky) * ''The Lord of the Rings'' (1954–1955), fantasy epic written by J. R. R. Tolkien. Frodo, Sam, and Pippin are beginning their great journey, still in the Shire and already shadowed by Black Riders, when they take refuge for a night with the elf Gildor and his companions. On that night, ''... high in the East swung Remmirath, the Netted Stars, and slowly above the mists red ''Borgil'' rose, glowing like a jewel of fire. Then by some shift of airs all the mist was drawn away like a veil, and there leaned up, as he climbed over the rim of the world, the Swordsman of the Sky, Menelvagor with his shining belt.'' Borgil, which ''follows'' Remirrath (the Pleiades) and precedes Menelvagor (Orion) has been convincingly identified as Aldebaran. The Tolkienian goddess of light Varda made the stars and the constellations, including those described here, in preparation for the awakening of the elves. (myth, sky) ''There follow references to Aldebaran as a location in space or the center of a planetary system, categorized by genre:'' Songs - * Rolling Stones, "2000 Light Years from Home", from the album "Their Satanic Majesties Request" (1967) contains the line "See you on Aldebaran" * Aldeberan, a 1977 song by the Canadian band FM * Aldebaran, a theme by Irish new age musician Enya from her self-titled debut album 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Aldebaran in fiction」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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