known as Toro Rosso The star also appears in works of fiction such as Far From the Madding Crowd (1874) and Down and Out in Paris and London (1933). It is frequently seen in science fiction, including the Lensman series (1948-1954) and Fallen Dragon (2001). Aldebaran regularly features in conspiracy theories as one of the origins of extraterrestrial aliens, often linked to Nazi UFOs. A well-known example is the German conspiracy theorist Axel Stoll, who considered the star the home of the Aryan race and the target of expeditions by the Wehrmacht. The planetary exploration probe Pioneer 10 is no longer powered or in contact with Earth, but its trajectory is taking it in the general direction of Aldebaran. It is expected to make its closest approach in about two million years. The Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach proposed the name aldebaranium (chemical symbol Ad) for a rare earth element that he (among others) had found. Today, it is called ytterbium (symbol Yb). See also Lists of stars List of brightest stars List of nearest bright stars Historical brightest stars Taurus (Chinese astronomy) References External links Daytime occultation of Aldebaran by the Moon (Moscow, Russia) YouTube video K-type giants Slow irregular variables Hypothetical planetary systems Taurus (constellation) Tauri, Alpha 1457 Durchmusterung objects Tauri, 087 Gliese and GJ objects 029139 021421 Aldebaran TIC objects