RA 99.8807° · Dec 3.3196° · star
5 more points to reach Uncommon.
HD 261557 is a common variable star. It lies about 178.4 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Mon, shines at apparent magnitude 9.37 and has spectral type K3V.
Its spectrum reads K3V — a K-type star. Orange K dwarfs are the marathon runners of the galaxy, burning steadily for tens of billions of years.
Look for HD 261557 in the constellation Mon. At apparent magnitude 9.37, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HD 261557 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 261557 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, Orange K-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.