RA 104.3020° · Dec -30.4935° · star
7 more points to reach Rare.
HD 51738 is an uncommon variable star. It lies about 3,229.3 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation CMa, shines at apparent magnitude 9.06 and has spectral type K1/K2III:.
Its spectrum reads K1/K2III: — 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 51738 in the constellation CMa. At apparent magnitude 9.06, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HD 51738 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 51738 scores 27 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 7 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 6 science badges — Variable star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Orange K-type star, Giant 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.