RA 142.2559° · Dec -52.1817° · star
3 more points to reach Epic.
HIP 46502 is a rare variable star. It sits in the constellation Vel, shines at apparent magnitude 12.43 and has spectral type M8-M9.5e.
Its spectrum reads M8-M9.5e — an M-type red star — and M stars are the silent majority: roughly three of every four stars in the galaxy are one.
Look for HIP 46502 in the constellation Vel. At apparent magnitude 12.43, it takes a larger telescope or a long-exposure image to capture.
Like any astronomical target, HIP 46502 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 46502 scores 47 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 3 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 6 science badges — Variable star, Cool red M-type star, Deep red star, Red dwarf, Dramatic variable (over 2 magnitudes) 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.