RA 115.4600° · Dec -14.7358° · openngc
8 more points to reach Rare.
NGC 2438 is an uncommon nebula. It lies about 1,376.9 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Pup and shines at apparent magnitude 10.8.
A planetary nebula: the shed outer atmosphere of a dying Sun-like star, lit from within by the naked stellar core left behind.
Look for NGC 2438 in the constellation Pup. At apparent magnitude 10.8, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, NGC 2438 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.
NGC 2438 scores 26 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 8 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 3 science badges — Nebula, Distant (over 1,000 light-years) and Planetary nebula (a dying star's shell) — 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.