RA 285.9323° · Dec -22.7119° · star
10 more points to reach Epic.
HD 177017 is a rare variable star. It lies about 685.2 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Sgr, shines at apparent magnitude 8.4 and has spectral type M7III.
Its spectrum reads M7III — 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 177017 in the constellation Sgr. At apparent magnitude 8.4, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 177017 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 177017 scores 40 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 10 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Variable star, Toward the galactic centre, On the zodiac, Cool red M-type star, Giant star, Strongly 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.