Hidden Galaxy (IC 342)

Object Description

The galaxy IC 342 was discovered on 11 August 1890 by the American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard and noted in the logbook of the Lick Observatory. Unfortunately, he failed to publish his discovery, which is why John L. E. Dreyer named William Denning as the discoverer in his «Index Catalog of Nebulae» published in 1895. [196, 314]

IC 342
IC 342: Galaxy in Camelopardalis; Takahashi Mewlon 250 CR, Reducer CR 0.73 (f=1800mm / f7.25), SBIG ST-8300; 11L x 600sec 1×1, 9R, 7G, 7B 2×2 x 600sec, 14HA 2×2 x 1200sec ; Bernese Highlands; © 2020 Bernhard Blank, Dragan Vogel
IC 342
IC 342: Galaxy in Camelopardalis. North is right; Astrooptik Keller Cassegrain 400mm f/9, SBIG STL-11000M; L 120 min, R 50 min, G 20 min, B 10 min; Oberes Schlierental 1450m m.a.s.l.; © 23. 12. 2008 Niklaus J. Imfeld, Eduard von Bergen

IC 342 is a starburst galaxy of the morphological type SA(s)cd and is located at a distance of about 9 to 11 million light years. [145] It would actually be one of the brightest spiral galaxies in the sky, but due to its position close to the galactic equator, the light appears strongly weakened and reddened by the thick layer of interstellar gas and dust in our Milky Way. This has earned the galaxy the nickname «Hidden Galaxy». [427]

Revised+Historic NGC/IC, Version 22/9, © Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
DesignationIC 342
TypeGx (SBc)
Right Ascension (J2000.0)03h 46m 48.4s
Declination (J2000.0)+68° 05' 44"
Diameter21.4 × 20.9 arcmin
Photographic (blue) magnitude9.1 mag
Visual magnitude8.4 mag
Surface brightness14.9 mag·arcmin-2
Position Angle168°
Redshift0.000103
Distance derived from z0.44 Mpc
Metric Distance3.600 Mpc
Dreyer DescriptionpB, vS, * 12 close n
Identification, RemarksUGC 2847, MCG 11-5-3, CGCG 305-2, IRAS 03419+6756

Finder Chart

The galaxy IC 342 is hidden in the rather inconspicuous constellation Camelopardalis (Giraffe). The best time to observe is September to March, when the circumpolar constellation is highest in the sky.

Finder Chart Hidden Galaxy (IC 342)
Hidden Galaxy (IC 342) in constellation Camelopardalis. Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. [149, 160]

More Objects Nearby (±15°)

References