The primary component is an ageing red giant star with a stellar classification of M2.5 III Ba0.5.[4] The suffix notation indicates this is a mild barium star, which means the stellar atmosphere is enriched with s-process elements. It is either a member of a close binary system and has previously acquired these elements from a (now) white dwarf companion or else it is on the asymptotic giant branch and is generating the elements itself.[12] This is a periodic variable of unknown type, changing in brightness with an amplitude of 0.0161 magnitude at a frequency of 0.23354 d−1, or once every 4.3 days.[13]
The third component is the magnitude 13.0 star at an angular separation of 7.8″ along a position angle of 164°, as of 2015.[14] It has a Gaia Data Release 3 parallax of 5.7 mas and a proper motion almost identical to 8 Andromedae.[15] A number of other faint stars within a few arc-minutes of 8 Andromedae have been listed as companions, but none are at the same distance.[16]
Within Andromeda it is the second of a northerly chain asterism – 11 is further south-westward, with 7, 5, then 3 Andromedae in the other direction.
^ abKeenan, Philip C.; McNeil, Raymond C. (1989), "The Perkins catalog of revised MK types for the cooler stars", Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 71: 245, Bibcode:1989ApJS...71..245K, doi:10.1086/191373.
^Mason, Brian D.; et al. (December 2001), "The 2001 US Naval Observatory Double Star CD-ROM. I. The Washington Double Star Catalog", The Astronomical Journal, 122 (6): 3466–3471, Bibcode:2001AJ....122.3466M, doi:10.1086/323920
