Lambda Aurigae is a Sun-like star in the northern constellation of Auriga. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from û Aurigae, and abbreviated Lambda Aur or û Aur. This star is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.71. Based upon parallax measurements, it is distant from the Earth. The star is drifting further away with a high radial velocity of +66.5 km/s, having come to within some 117,300 years ago. It has a high proper motion, traversing the celestial sphere at the rate of per year.
This is a G-type main sequence star with a stellar classification of G1 V. It is sometimes listed with a class of G1.5 IV-V Fe-1, which indicates the spectrum is showing some features of a more evolved subgiant star along with a noticeable underabundance of iron. In terms of composition it is similar to the Sun, while the mass and radius are slightly larger. It is 73% more luminous than the Sun and radiates this energy from its outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of . At this heat, the star glows with the yellow hue of a G-type star. It has a low level of magnetic activity and is a candidate Maunder minimum analog.
Lambda Aurigae has been examined for the presence of excess infrared emission that may indicate the presence of a circumstellar disk of dust, but no significant surplus has been observed. It is a possible member of the Epsilon Indi Moving Group of stars that share a common motion through space. The space velocity components of this star are = .
This star may have been called by the name Al Hurr, meaning the fawn in Arabic. Lambda Aurigae, along with ü Aur and àAur, were Kazwini's Al ḢibÃÂý (ãÃÂÃÂèçù), the Tent. According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al ḢibÃÂý were the title for three stars : û Aur as Al ḢibÃÂý I, ü Aur as Al ḢibÃÂý II and àAur as Al ḢibÃÂý III.
In Chinese, (), meaning Pool of Harmony, refers to an asterism consisting of û Aurigae, àAurigae and HD 36041. Consequently, the Chinese name for û Aurigae itself is (, .)
From Earth, Lambda Aurigae has an apparent magnitude of 4.71. The closest large neighboring star to Lambda Aurigae is Capella, located away. Hypothetically viewed from Lambda Aurigae, Capella's quadruple star system would have an apparent magnitude of approximately -5.48, about 40 times brighter than Sirius can be seen at maximum brightness from Earth.