RA 42.0823° · Dec 17.5094° · star
12 more points to reach Epic.
HD 17446 is a rare variable star. It lies about 1,598.8 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Ari, shines at apparent magnitude 8.88 and has spectral type M6e-M8e.
Its spectrum reads M6e-M8e — 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 17446 in the constellation Ari. At apparent magnitude 8.88, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 17446 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 17446 scores 38 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 12 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Variable star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), On the zodiac, Cool red M-type star, Red dwarf, 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.