[1][3][2] J0446 was first identified as an object with infrared excess and member of the 42 Myr old Columba association by the NASA citizen science project Disk Detective.

The object was identified as a binary with both components having a spectral type of M6, making them red dwarfs.

The researchers detected 9 hydrocarbons (methyl radical, methane, acetylene [C2H2 and 13CCH2], ethylene, ethane, propyne, diacetylene, and benzene),[4][5][2] two nitrogen-bearing species (hydrogen cyanide and cyanoacetylene), two isotopes of carbon dioxide (12CO2 and 13CO2), molecular hydrogen and two noble gases (neon and argon).

Molecular hydrogen and neon is usually only found in young disks with ages of a few million years.

The line strength of neon and argon indicate that the main ionizing source are soft x-ray and UV photons coming from J0446.

[2] A long-lived disk can provide more time for planetary cores to form via the core-accretion process.

This could lead to hazes, such as seen in Titan or it could influence the mean molecular weight and thermal structure of such atmospheres.