RA 286.2037° · Dec -24.8158° · star
13 more points to reach Epic.
HD 177242 is a rare star. It lies about 1,259.3 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Sgr, shines at apparent magnitude 8.27 and has spectral type K1/K2III.
Its spectrum reads K1/K2III — 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 177242 in the constellation Sgr. At apparent magnitude 8.27, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 177242 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 177242 scores 37 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 13 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Toward the galactic centre, On the zodiac, Orange K-type star, Giant star and Deep red 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.