RA 203.7839° · Dec 20.7819° · star
7 more points to reach Uncommon.
HD 118234 is a common variable star. It lies about 601.8 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Com, shines at apparent magnitude 7.82 and has spectral type K0.
Its spectrum reads K0 — 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 118234 in the constellation Com. At apparent magnitude 7.82, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 118234 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 118234 scores 15 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 7 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 4 science badges — Variable star, Orange K-type 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.