RA 236.0160° · Dec -54.9868° · star
11 more points to reach Epic.
HD 140041 is a rare variable star. It lies about 903.5 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Nor, shines at apparent magnitude 8.43 and has spectral type M5:e.
Its spectrum reads M5:e — an M-type red star — and M stars are the silent majority: roughly three of every four stars in the galaxy are one.
Look for HD 140041 in the constellation Nor. At apparent magnitude 8.43, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 140041 is best seen from a dark site away from city lights, and when it is above the horizon depends on your latitude and the time of year. The visibility panel above works out tonight's viewing window for your saved location.
HD 140041 scores 39 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 11 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Variable star, Cool red M-type star, Red dwarf, Dramatic variable (over 2 magnitudes) and A named variable star — each earned for a real, measurable property of the object. Rarity on Spacedle is never random: the more remarkable an object's astrophysics, the more badges it collects, the higher it scores, and the rarer it ranks.