RA 278.4004° · Dec 5.6067° · star
5 more points to reach Uncommon.
HD 171263 is a common variable star. It lies about 991.4 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Ser, shines at apparent magnitude 7.75 and has spectral type A0p.
Its spectrum reads A0p — an A-type star: white-hot, typically about twice the Sun's mass, and the class most of the sky's famous bright stars belong to.
Look for HD 171263 in the constellation Ser. At apparent magnitude 7.75, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 171263 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 171263 scores 17 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 5 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 4 science badges — Variable star, White A-type 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.