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Rare variable star 39 EP

GL Gl 207.1

RA 83.4366° · Dec 1.9454° · star

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Score breakdown

· 8 badges
39 pts · Rare
Rare 50 pts → Epic
  • Deep red star +8
  • In Orion's hunting ground +6
  • Red dwarf +6
  • Variable star +5
  • Cool red M-type star +5
  • Gently variable +4
  • A named variable star +3
  • Main-sequence star +2
Total score 39

11 more points to reach Epic.

Badges

  • Variable star · +5
  • In Orion's hunting ground · +6
  • Cool red M-type star · +5
  • Main-sequence star · +2
  • Deep red star · +8
  • Red dwarf · +6
  • Gently variable · +4
  • A named variable star · +3

Trivia

What it actually is

  • Spectral class. Its spectrum reads M2.5Ve — an M-type red star — and M stars are the silent majority: roughly three of every four stars in the galaxy are one.
  • Where it is in life. It is on the main sequence, quietly fusing hydrogen in its core exactly as the Sun does.
  • It changes. This star does not hold still: its brightness rises and falls on a rhythm of hours, days or years, either pulsing in size or being eclipsed by a companion.

Sense of scale

  • In perspective. Inside our stellar backyard: every radio broadcast humanity has ever made has already swept past it.

Find it in the sky

  • How to spot it. At magnitude 11.5 you'll want a small backyard telescope, over in Orion.
  • Seen from everywhere. It sits almost on the celestial equator, so it can be seen from essentially anywhere on Earth.
  • Best time of year. It stands highest in the middle of the night around December — that's when to go looking.

Could we get there?

  • Verdict. Hopelessly far for any craft humanity can build today.

Properties

absmag
10.518
bv
1.576
constellation
Ori
dist ly
51.9772
luminosity
0.0054
mag
11.53
name
GL Gl 207.1
spect
M2.5Ve
var amplitude
0.17
var designation
V371
var max
11.443
var min
11.613

About GL Gl 207.1

GL Gl 207.1 is a rare variable star. It lies about 52 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Ori, shines at apparent magnitude 11.53 and has spectral type M2.5Ve.

Its spectrum reads M2.5Ve — an M-type red star — and M stars are the silent majority: roughly three of every four stars in the galaxy are one.

How to see it

Look for GL Gl 207.1 in the constellation Ori. At apparent magnitude 11.53, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.

Like any astronomical target, GL Gl 207.1 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.

Why GL Gl 207.1 is a rare variable star

GL Gl 207.1 scores 39 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 11 points would lift it into a rarer tier.

That score comes from 8 science badges — Variable star, In Orion's hunting ground, Cool red M-type star, Main-sequence 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.