RA 184.5704° · Dec -63.2801° · star
16 more points to reach Epic.
HIP 59996 is a rare variable star. It lies about 739.6 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cru and shines at apparent magnitude 9.73.
This star does not hold still: its brightness rises and falls on a rhythm of hours, days or years, either pulsing in size or being eclipsed by a companion.
Look for HIP 59996 in the constellation Cru. At apparent magnitude 9.73, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, HIP 59996 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.
HIP 59996 scores 34 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 16 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 5 science badges — Variable star, Under the Southern Cross, 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.