RA 347.8753° · Dec 52.8868° · star
1 more point to reach Epic.
HD 218942 is a rare variable star. It lies about 1,124.7 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation And, shines at apparent magnitude 9.1 and has spectral type M6IIvar.
Its spectrum reads M6IIvar — 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 218942 in the constellation And. At apparent magnitude 9.1, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HD 218942 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 218942 scores 49 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare 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), Cool red M-type star, Bright giant, Deep red star, Strongly 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.