RA 266.2353° · Dec -18.6573° · star
23 more points to reach Anomaly.
HD 161208 is an epic variable star. It sits in the constellation Sgr, shines at apparent magnitude 8.49 and has spectral type C.
Its spectrum reads C — a carbon star, wrapped in so much soot that its light is filtered to a deep ruby red.
Look for HD 161208 in the constellation Sgr. At apparent magnitude 8.49, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 161208 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 161208 scores 55 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the epic tier. Another 23 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Variable star, Toward the galactic centre, On the zodiac, Carbon star (sooty red), 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.