With an apparent visual magnitude of 6.23, this star requires good dark sky conditions to view with the naked eye.

It is located at a distance of 40.0 light-years (12.3 pc) from Sun based on parallax.

[7] Eric Gaidos et al. discovered that V538 Aurigae is a variable star based on observations by robotic telescopes[12] at Fairborn Observatory from 1993 through 1999, and they announced their discovery in 2000.

[13] This is a BY Draconis variable,[6] which means it undergoes changes in luminosity because regions of pronounced surface magnetic activity are moved into and out of the line of sight from the Earth as the star rotates (once every 11 days).

[7] The star is radiating 48% of the Sun's luminosity from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 5,303 K.[3] It has a common proper motion companion designated Vys 465 (HD 233153),[14] which is a red dwarf with a class of M0.5V and a visual magnitude of 9.87.