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When the constellation of Norma was first defined, it contained two stars to the north of the main quadrangle shape that makes up the body of the constellation, designated Alpha and Beta Normae. As the boundaries of the constellations were redefined, these two stars were incorporated into neighbouring Scorpius, leaving Gamma2 as the brightest star remaining within the borders of Norma.
Gamma2 Normae is part of an optical double, hence the '2' in its designation. Its partner, the fainter Gamma1, lies roughly half a degree to the west in the sky, but in reality is more than ten times farther from Earth. Gamma2 is about 129 light years from the Solar System, while Gamma1 is more than 1,400 light years away. Physically Gamma2 is a yellow star of the Giant class.
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