RA 288.5761° · Dec 11.7128° · star
4 more points to reach Rare.
HD 179987 is an uncommon star. It lies about 1,874.5 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Aql, shines at apparent magnitude 6.77 and has spectral type K2.
Its spectrum reads K2 — 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 179987 in the constellation Aql. At apparent magnitude 6.77, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 179987 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 179987 scores 30 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 4 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Orange K-type star, Deep red star and Intrinsically luminous (Mv < −2) — 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.