Based upon an annual parallax shift of 21.80 mas as seen from Earth, it is located around 150 light years from the Sun.
[3] This is giving the star an oblate shape with an equatorial bulge that is 12% larger than the polar radius.
[12] δ Doradus displays an infrared excess suggesting it may be a Vega-like star with an orbiting debris disk.
[13] The pole star status changes periodically, because of the precession of the Moon's rotational axis.
When δ Doradus is the pole star, it is better aligned than Earth's Polaris (α Ursae Minoris), but much fainter.