RA 34.8366° · Dec -2.9776° · star
15 more points to reach Anomaly.
Mira is an epic variable star. It lies about 299 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cet, shines at apparent magnitude 6.47 and has spectral type M5e-M9e.
Its spectrum reads M5e-M9e — 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 Mira in the constellation Cet. At apparent magnitude 6.47, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, Mira 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.
Mira scores 63 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the epic tier. Another 15 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Variable star, Has a proper name, Cool red M-type star, Red dwarf, Dramatic variable (over 2 magnitudes), Fades out of naked-eye view 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.