RA 48.6521° · Dec 2.7546° · star
7 more points to reach Uncommon.
HD 20173 is a common variable star. It lies about 622.4 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cet, shines at apparent magnitude 8.61 and has spectral type F2.
Its spectrum reads F2 — an F-type star — a little hotter, whiter and shorter-lived than the Sun.
Look for HD 20173 in the constellation Cet. At apparent magnitude 8.61, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 20173 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 20173 scores 15 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 7 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 4 science badges — Variable star, Yellow-white F-type star, 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.