RA 203.0594° · Dec -61.9906° · star
13 more points to reach Epic.
HD 117491 is a rare variable star. It lies about 1,342.2 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cen, shines at apparent magnitude 8.66 and has spectral type M3III:.
Its spectrum reads M3III: — 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 117491 in the constellation Cen. At apparent magnitude 8.66, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 117491 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 117491 scores 37 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 13 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, Giant star, Deep red star, Gently 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.