RA 88.6361° · Dec -35.0851° · star
5 more points to reach Uncommon.
HD 39996 is a common variable star. It lies about 698.4 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Col, shines at apparent magnitude 8.12 and has spectral type F3V.
Its spectrum reads F3V — an F-type star — a little hotter, whiter and shorter-lived than the Sun.
Look for HD 39996 in the constellation Col. At apparent magnitude 8.12, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 39996 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 39996 scores 17 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 5 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Variable star, Yellow-white F-type star, Main-sequence 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.