RA 161.1965° · Dec -59.4134° · star
23 more points to reach Anomaly.
HD 303310 is an epic variable star. It lies about 1,430.5 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Car, shines at apparent magnitude 8.56 and has spectral type M2Ia.
Its spectrum reads M2Ia — 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 303310 in the constellation Car. At apparent magnitude 8.56, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 303310 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 303310 scores 55 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the epic tier. Another 23 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Variable star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Cool red M-type star, Supergiant, Deep red star, 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.