RA 43.4426° · Dec 9.3358° · star
3 more points to reach Rare.
HD 17986 is an uncommon variable star. It lies about 565.3 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cet, shines at apparent magnitude 6.54 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 17986 in the constellation Cet. At apparent magnitude 6.54, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 17986 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 17986 scores 31 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 3 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 6 science badges — Variable star, 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.