RA 129.1514° · Dec -52.5779° · star
2 more points to reach Uncommon.
HIP 42227 is a common variable star. It sits in the constellation Vel and shines at apparent magnitude 9.5.
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 42227 in the constellation Vel. At apparent magnitude 9.5, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HIP 42227 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 42227 scores 20 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 2 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 4 science badges — Variable star, Deep red 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.