RA 207.8916° · Dec -58.5395° · star
3 more points to reach Epic.
HD 120521 is a rare star. It sits in the constellation Cen, shines at apparent magnitude 8.56 and has spectral type O9Ib.
Its spectrum reads O9Ib — an O-type star — the hottest, rarest main class there is. Fewer than one star in a million is an O, and none of them lasts long.
Look for HD 120521 in the constellation Cen. At apparent magnitude 8.56, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, HD 120521 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 120521 scores 47 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the rare tier. Another 3 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 3 science badges — Star, Blazing O-type star and Supergiant — 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.