[18] Consequently, the Chinese name for Zeta Aurigae itself is 柱二 (Zhù èr, English: the Second Star of Pillars.

)[19] Zeta Aurigae was first recognized as a spectroscopic binary by William Hammond Wright while analyzing photographic plates taken at Lick Observatory between 1898 and 1908.

Harper also noticed that the composite nature of the spectrum had disappeared on the one plate when the K type primary was nearest the sun indicating a possible eclipse.

[22] In 1932 the eclipsing binary nature of the system was confirmed by Paul Guthnick, Heribert Schneller and independently Josef Hopmann.

[23] The orbital plane of this eclipsing system is oriented close to the line of sight from the Earth, with an inclination estimated as 87.0°.