RA 153.0801° · Dec -10.3214° · star
13 more points to reach Epic.
HD 88517 is a rare variable star. It sits in the constellation Sex, shines at apparent magnitude 8.42 and has spectral type M6.
Its spectrum reads M6 — 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 HD 88517 in the constellation Sex. At apparent magnitude 8.42, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 88517 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 88517 scores 37 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 13 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, Strongly 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.