RA 309.3565° · Dec -11.8711° · star
6 more points to reach Uncommon.
HD 196397 is a common star. It lies about 163.7 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cap, shines at apparent magnitude 8.95 and has spectral type G8/K0V.
Its spectrum reads G8/K0V — a G-type star: the very same spectral class as our own Sun.
Look for HD 196397 in the constellation Cap. At apparent magnitude 8.95, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 196397 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 196397 scores 16 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 6 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 4 science badges — Star, On the zodiac, Sun-like G-type star and Main-sequence 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.