RA 50.6580° · Dec -0.5285° · star
1 more point to reach Uncommon.
HD 20940 is a common variable star. It lies about 1,164.8 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cet, shines at apparent magnitude 9.69 and has spectral type F8.
Its spectrum reads F8 — an F-type star — a little hotter, whiter and shorter-lived than the Sun.
Look for HD 20940 in the constellation Cet. At apparent magnitude 9.69, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HD 20940 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 20940 scores 21 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 1 point would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Variable star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), 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.