Aldebaran (star)/meta
NOTE CONCERNING STAR POSITIONS:
When comparing real-astronomical star positions to the Traveller Map of Charted Space, it needs to be observed that the axes of the Charted Space Map appear to be tilted almost exactly 45o counter-clockwise from the correct position (i.e. "true" Coreward actually lies parallel to the Lesser Rift). If one makes that adjustment, about 70% of the named stars will fall roughly along their correct bearing. However, there are some exceptions in which the star in question lies in roughly the correct position relative to the Charted Space Map without the need to rotate the coordinate axes.
In general, if one is assigning the position of a Real-Universe star to a Traveller Map hex, it should be acceptable if:
- 1) The star's longitude angle (θ) is within a 45o bearing-arc between the "true" coordinate axes and the Traveller Charted Space Map coordinate axes, and
- 2) The star's assigned distance from Terra on the hexmap falls somewhere between its true distance R in parsecs, and its 2D-projection onto the flat map as seen from above, found by Dproj = {R * cos(ɸ)}, where (ɸ) is the latitude angle. If desired, the distance above/below the plane can be determined by Z = {R * sin(ɸ)}.
CHARTED SPACE MAP NOTES:
- Classic Traveller: Solomani (Alien Module) identified Aldebaran as the star associated with the beltworld Cicero/Capella (Solomani Rim 0938). However, T5SS shows Cicero orbiting a K1 III star, whereas Aldebaran is K5 III. Further, Aldebaran is the name of both the sector and an associated subsector to Rimward of the Solomani Rim Sector, which would seem to suggest that Aldebaran should be located there, which also happens to be closer to the correct distance from Terra as well. It is unclear whether or not the association with Cicero is still considered canonical.
- TravellerMap currently lists a position for a (non-canonical) beltworld named Aldebaran in the unofficial Aldebaran Subsector at: Aldebaran/Aldebaran (Aldebaran 1509) - Traveller Map: [1].
ASTRONOMICAL NOTES:
- It is likely that Aldebaran hosts a planet several times the size of Jupiter.