RA 275.6648° · Dec -18.0210° · star
11 more points to reach Rare.
HD 168863 is an uncommon star. It lies about 134.2 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Sgr, shines at apparent magnitude 9.35 and has spectral type K2/K3III:.
Its spectrum reads K2/K3III: — a K-type star. Orange K dwarfs are the marathon runners of the galaxy, burning steadily for tens of billions of years.
Look for HD 168863 in the constellation Sgr. At apparent magnitude 9.35, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HD 168863 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 168863 scores 23 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 11 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Star, Toward the galactic centre, On the zodiac, Orange K-type star and Giant 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.