RA 342.8904° · Dec 85.0464° · star
1 more point to reach Rare.
HD 217158 is an uncommon variable star. It lies about 1,117 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cep, shines at apparent magnitude 7.32 and has spectral type M4IIIvar.
Its spectrum reads M4IIIvar — 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 217158 in the constellation Cep. At apparent magnitude 7.32, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 217158 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 217158 scores 33 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 1 point would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Variable star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Never sets (northern circumpolar), Cool red M-type star, Giant star, Gently variable and A named variable 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.