With an apparent visual magnitude of 2.86,[2] it can be seen with the naked eye from the southern hemisphere.

Using parallax measurements, the distance to this system can be estimated as 184 light-years (56 parsecs).

[7] This is a spectroscopic binary, which means that the two stars have not been individually resolved using a telescope, but the presence of the companion has been inferred from measuring changes in the spectrum of the primary.

[6] The primary component has a stellar classification of K3 III,[3] which indicates it is a giant star that has exhausted the supply of hydrogen at its core and evolved away from the main sequence.

"Lang" is a Malay and Indonesian word meaning hornbill, and "Exster" is a Dutch word meaning magpie; both were historically used as names for the constellation Tucana.