RA 277.7955° · Dec -64.1254° · star
2 more points to reach Uncommon.
HD 169863 is a common variable star. It lies about 862.8 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Pav, shines at apparent magnitude 9.12 and has spectral type F2IV.
Its spectrum reads F2IV — an F-type star — a little hotter, whiter and shorter-lived than the Sun.
Look for HD 169863 in the constellation Pav. At apparent magnitude 9.12, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HD 169863 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 169863 scores 20 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 2 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Variable star, Yellow-white F-type star, Subgiant (leaving the main sequence), 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.