RA 160.3230° · Dec -59.6769° · star
6 more points to reach Epic.
HR 4188 is a rare variable star. It sits in the constellation Car, shines at apparent magnitude 6.35 and has spectral type WN7 + A(SB1).
Its spectrum reads WN7 + A(SB1) — a Wolf-Rayet star: a stellar monster shedding its own outer layers in a ferocious wind, on its way to a supernova.
Look for HR 4188 in the constellation Car. At apparent magnitude 6.35, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HR 4188 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 4188 scores 44 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 6 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 4 science badges — Variable star, Wolf-Rayet star (shedding itself), 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.