IC 4406 is bipolar and appears to be a prolate spheroid with strong concentrations of material in its equator.

[3] This kind of structure is a natural product of a bipolar model.

[3] The knots of IC 4406 have a "lacy" appearance and have no ordered symmetry towards the central star.

[2] At least 5 faint ring-like structures, seen as arcs north and south of the main nebula, have been detected in Very Large Telescope observations.

[6] An analysis of Gaia data suggests that it may be a binary system.