RA 309.9013° · Dec 30.8141° · star
4 more points to reach Uncommon.
HD 196972 is a common star. It lies about 726.4 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cyg, shines at apparent magnitude 7.36 and has spectral type K0II.
Its spectrum reads K0II — 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 196972 in the constellation Cyg. At apparent magnitude 7.36, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 196972 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 196972 scores 18 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 4 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 3 science badges — Star, Orange K-type star and Bright giant — 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.