RA 51.6474° · Dec 28.7151° · star
6 more points to reach Rare.
HD 21242 is an uncommon variable star. It lies about 168.4 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Ari, shines at apparent magnitude 6.47 and has spectral type G5IV.
Its spectrum reads G5IV — a G-type star: the very same spectral class as our own Sun.
Look for HD 21242 in the constellation Ari. At apparent magnitude 6.47, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 21242 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 21242 scores 28 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 6 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 6 science badges — Variable star, On the zodiac, Sun-like G-type star, Subgiant (leaving the main sequence), 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.