RA 251.8323° · Dec 42.2389° · star
11 more points to reach Epic.
HR 6242 is a rare variable star. It lies about 755 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Her, shines at apparent magnitude 5.86 and has spectral type M4IIIa.
Its spectrum reads M4IIIa — 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 HR 6242 in the constellation Her. At apparent magnitude 5.86, it can be glimpsed with the unaided eye under dark skies.
Like any astronomical target, HR 6242 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.
HR 6242 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 7 science badges — Variable star, Naked-eye visible, Cool red M-type star, Giant star, Deep red star, Gently variable 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.