RA 310.2068° · Dec -25.0496° · star
3 more points to reach Rare.
HD 196859 is an uncommon star. It lies about 1,664.1 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cap, shines at apparent magnitude 7.6 and has spectral type M2III.
Its spectrum reads M2III — 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 196859 in the constellation Cap. At apparent magnitude 7.6, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 196859 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 196859 scores 31 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 3 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 6 science badges — Star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), On the zodiac, Cool red M-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.