RA 351.4497° · Dec -11.1556° · star
10 more points to reach Epic.
HD 220686 is a rare variable star. It lies about 1,006.7 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Aqr, shines at apparent magnitude 8.14 and has spectral type M3.
Its spectrum reads M3 — 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 220686 in the constellation Aqr. At apparent magnitude 8.14, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 220686 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 220686 scores 40 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 10 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 8 science badges — Variable star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), On the zodiac, Cool red M-type star, Deep red star, Red dwarf, 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.