Its surface temperature is 7650±150 K. HD 169142 is depleted of heavy elements compared to the Sun, with a metallicity Fe/H index of −0.375±0.125, but is much younger at an age of 7.5±4.5 million years.

[10] The annular gap and inner cavity observed in this protoplanetary disk both suggested the presence of embedded planets.

[11][12] Nonetheless, a particular protoplanet candidate detected in 2015 and 2017 with the SPHERE instrument on the VLT appears to stand out, hereafter HD 169142 b.

[5] A study from June 2023, using archived ALMA data found sulfur monoxide and silicon monosulfide in the disk at the position of planet b.

Evidence for inflow or outflows suspected to be caused by planets exist for other disks, such as a signature in the CI gas of HD 163296.