The spectrum of HD 34626 had long been known to be unusual, with very broad lines indicating rapid rotation andemission lines marking it as aBe star. In 1970, John R. Percy found that it varies in brightness by 0.1 magnitude over time scales of 8 to 12 hours, but these variations are not periodic.[10] This indicates the variability is not caused by ellipsoidal effects, and the nature of the variability remains unknown.[8] It may be a type ofSX Arietis variable.[6] It was given itsvariable star designation in 1972.[11]
HD 34626 has exhausted its core hydrogen andevolved away from themain sequence. Its spectral type indicates that it is asubgiant, but evolutionary models suggest it may be in thegiant stage.[2]
^abDeutschman, W. A.; Davis, R. J.; Schild, R. E. (February 1976), "The galactic distribution of interstellar absorption as determined from the Celescope catalog of ultraviolet stellar observations and a new catalog of UBV, H-beta photoelectric observations",Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series,30:97–225,Bibcode:1976ApJS...30...97D,doi:10.1086/190359
^ab"MZ Aur".International Variable Star Index.AAVSO. Retrieved2022-09-27.
^abPercy, J. R. (December 1984), "Five suspected Beta Cephei stars revisited",Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada,78:241–250,Bibcode:1984JRASC..78..241P
