RA 273.2207° · Dec -63.6159° · star
25 more points to reach Anomaly.
HD 165961 is an epic variable star. It lies about 1,098.2 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Pav, shines at apparent magnitude 8.52 and has spectral type Me.
Its spectrum reads Me — 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 165961 in the constellation Pav. At apparent magnitude 8.52, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 165961 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 165961 scores 53 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the epic tier. Another 25 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Variable star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Cool red M-type star, Deep red 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.