In Bayer's original Uranometria, k Puppis was listed as ρ (rho) Navis.

Each star within the k Puppis optical pair is between 450 and 470 light years from Earth.

[4] k2 Puppis is a chemically peculiar star with a strong magnetic field.

It is classified as a He-weak star and in addition to a deficit of helium in its spectrum, it shows an overabundance of many iron peak and rare earth elements.

All of its spectral lines show variability, probably due to variations in the chemical makeup of its atmosphere as it rotates.