This system has a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.25[2] and is visible to the naked eye.

Based upon parallax measurements made during the Hipparcos mission, this star system is located at a distance of about 720 light-years (220 parsecs) from Earth.

[1] With χ And it forms the Chinese asterism 軍南門 (Keun Nan Mun, Mandarin jūnnánmén), "the South Gate of the Camp".

[12][13] The 4.46[3] magnitude primary component is a Be star with a stellar classification of B7 Ve, indicating that it is a B-type main sequence star that shows prominent emission lines of hydrogen in its spectrum.

These emission lines come from a flattened decretion disk of hot gas that is orbiting the host star.