Common star 16 EP

HD 102161

RA 176.3812° · Dec 25.1110° · star

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Score breakdown

· 4 badges

16 pts · Common

Common 22 pts → Uncommon

Sun-like G-type star +8
Star +3
On the zodiac +3
Main-sequence star +2

Total score 16

6 more points to reach Uncommon.

Badges

Star · +3
On the zodiac · +3
Sun-like G-type star · +8
Main-sequence star · +2

Trivia

What it actually is

Spectral class. Its spectrum reads G0V — a G-type star: the very same spectral class as our own Sun.
Where it is in life. It is on the main sequence, quietly fusing hydrogen in its core exactly as the Sun does.

Sense of scale

In perspective. Far away by human standards, yet still a local address inside the Milky Way's spiral arms.

Find it in the sky

How to spot it. At magnitude 8.4 it is just past naked-eye reach — ordinary binoculars will pull it in, over in Leo.
Northern sky. It rides the northern half of the sky — an easier target the further north you are.
Best time of year. It stands highest in the middle of the night around March — that's when to go looking.

Could we get there?

Verdict. Hopelessly far for any craft humanity can build today.

Getting there

Aboard Voyager 1. ≈ 4.9 million years at Voyager 1's speed (17 km/s).

Properties

absmag: 3.746
bv: 0.64
constellation: Leo
dist ly: 278.0529
luminosity: 2.7644
mag: 8.4
name: HD 102161
spect: G0V

Nearby objects

About HD 102161

HD 102161 is a common star. It lies about 278.1 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Leo, shines at apparent magnitude 8.4 and has spectral type G0V.

Its spectrum reads G0V — a G-type star: the very same spectral class as our own Sun.

How to see it

Look for HD 102161 in the constellation Leo. At apparent magnitude 8.4, it is an easy target for binoculars.

Like any astronomical target, HD 102161 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.

Why HD 102161 is a common star

HD 102161 scores 16 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 6 points would lift it into a rarer tier.

That score comes from 4 science badges — Star, On the zodiac, Sun-like G-type star and Main-sequence 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.