RA 281.5701° · Dec -16.0558° · star
12 more points to reach Epic.
HD 173499 is a rare star. It sits in the constellation Sgr, shines at apparent magnitude 9.89 and has spectral type B8Ib.
Its spectrum reads B8Ib — a blue-white B-type star, with a surface tens of thousands of degrees hot and a life measured in tens of millions of years.
Look for HD 173499 in the constellation Sgr. At apparent magnitude 9.89, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HD 173499 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 173499 scores 38 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 12 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Star, Toward the galactic centre, On the zodiac, Hot blue B-type star and Supergiant — 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.