Originally considered a single star, it was reported to be a shell star in 1982. Circumstellar absorption lines were then found to be variable, showing a similarity to the edge-on debris disk surrounding Beta Pictoris. The stellar classification of A2IV/V matched an A-type star near the end of its main sequence lifetime, showing traits of an emerging subgiant star phase.
A 2019 study using PIONIER (VLTI) and 32 years of radial velocity measurements concluded that HD 256 is instead a binary star. The variable component of the spectral lines do not come from exocomets according to this study, but rather from the binarity. Each individual star holds its own circumstellar shell. The pair have an orbital period of 2.05 years, an eccentricity of around 0.23, and a semimajor axis of 3.08AU. The adjusted classification is of a rapidly rotating main sequence shell star of type A3Vnsh.
123Cutri, Roc M.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Beichman, Charles A.; Carpenter, John M.; Chester, Thomas; Cambresy, Laurent; Evans, Tracey E.; Fowler, John W.; Gizis, John E.; Howard, Elizabeth V.; Huchra, John P.; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Kopan, Eugene L.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Light, Robert M.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; McCallon, Howard L.; Schneider, Stephen E.; Stiening, Rae; Sykes, Matthew J.; Weinberg, Martin D.; Wheaton, William A.; Wheelock, Sherry L.; Zacarias, N. (2003). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: 2MASS All-Sky Catalog of Point Sources (Cutri+ 2003)". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 2246: II/246. Bibcode:2003yCat.2246....0C.
↑Lagrange-Henri, A. M.; etal. (January 1990). "HR 10: a new beta Pictoris-like star?". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 227: L13–L16. Bibcode:1990A&A...227L..13L. ISSN0004-6361.
↑Houk, N.; Smith-Moore, M. (1988). Michigan Catalogue of Two-dimensional Spectral Types for the HD Stars. Vol.4. Bibcode:1988mcts.book.....H.