RA 180.8272° · Dec 29.1206° · star
5 more points to reach Rare.
HD 104688 is an uncommon star. It lies about 2,651.7 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation UMa, shines at apparent magnitude 8.3 and has spectral type K3IV.
Its spectrum reads K3IV — a K-type star. Orange K dwarfs are the marathon runners of the galaxy, burning steadily for tens of billions of years.
Look for HD 104688 in the constellation UMa. At apparent magnitude 8.3, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 104688 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 104688 scores 29 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the uncommon tier. Another 5 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 6 science badges — Star, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Never sets (northern circumpolar), Orange K-type star, Subgiant (leaving the main sequence) and Deep red 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.