RA 151.5301° · Dec -52.1879° · star
3 more points to reach Uncommon.
HR 3978 is a common variable star. It lies about 428.6 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Vel, shines at apparent magnitude 6.5 and has spectral type K0III.
Its spectrum reads K0III — a K-type star. Orange K dwarfs are the marathon runners of the galaxy, burning steadily for tens of billions of years.
Look for HR 3978 in the constellation Vel. At apparent magnitude 6.5, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HR 3978 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.
HR 3978 scores 19 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 3 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Variable star, Orange K-type star, Giant star, Barely variable (under 0.05 mag) 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.