The pair have a combined apparent visual magnitude of +5.43,[5] which is bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.

Based upon an annual parallax shift of 3.99 mas as seen from the Earth,[13] the system is located roughly 820 light years from the Sun.

Although not catalogued formally as a variable star, brightness changes between magnitude 5,33 and 5.44 have been widely reported.

[15] The magnitude 5.7 primary, component A,[2] is a blue-white hued Be star[10] with a stellar classification B6 III.

[8] It has an estimated four times the mass of the Sun and is radiating 604 times the solar luminosity at an effective temperature of 11,272 K.[8] The secondary, component B, has a visual magnitude of 6.8[2] and a spectral class of B8.5 V.[4] Eta Piscis Austrini is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 11.3 km/s relative to the Sun.