RA 122.0973° · Dec -16.4713° · star
4 more points to reach Uncommon.
HIP 39840 is a common variable star. It lies about 1,336.7 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Pup and shines at apparent magnitude 10.63.
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.
Look for HIP 39840 in the constellation Pup. At apparent magnitude 10.63, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HIP 39840 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.
HIP 39840 scores 18 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 4 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 4 science badges — Variable star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), 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.