The system is visible to the naked eye as a single point of light with a combined apparent visual magnitude of +2.17;[2] individually they are third-magnitude stars.

[3] Their positions have been observed since 1897, which is long enough to estimate an orbital period of 84.5 years and a semimajor axis of 0.93 arcsecond.

[12] The combined stellar classification of the pair is A1IV+;[4] when they are separated out they have individual classes of A1IV and A0IV,[5] suggesting they are A-type subgiant stars in the process of becoming giants.

[14] Consequently, the Chinese name for γ Centauri itself is 庫樓七 (Kù Lóu qī, English: the Seventh Star of Arsenal).

[15] The people of Aranda and Luritja tribe around Hermannsburg, Central Australia named a quadrangular arrangement comprising this star, δ Cen (Ma Wei), δ Cru (Imai) and γ Cru (Gacrux) as Iritjinga ("The Eagle-hawk").