Hidden Galaxy

Spiral galaxy, IC 342

From the Sun

10.7 million light-years

Open in 3D Wikipedia

Open in 3D

Picture: NOIRLab/ NSF /AURA/T.A. Rector (NSF NOIRLab/University of Alaska Anchorage) & H. Schweiker (WIYN/NSF NOIRLab)

What it is

A large spiral almost face-on to us, dimmed and reddened by the Milky Way’s dust in front of it.

The picture hangs at that distance facing Earth, as large as it is on the sky; how deep the object is cannot be seen, so it is flat.

The picture

Taken by: NOIRLab
Picture spans: about 110,000 ly
From the Sun: 10.7 million light-years
RA / Dec: 56.84° / 68.19°
Credit: NOIRLab/ NSF /AURA/T.A. Rector (NSF NOIRLab/University of Alaska Anchorage) & H. Schweiker (WIYN/NSF NOIRLab)

IC 342

IC 342 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis, located relatively close to the Milky Way. Despite its size and actual brightness, its location behind dusty areas near the galactic equator makes it difficult to observe, leading to the nickname "The Hidden Galaxy", though it can readily be detected even with binoculars. If the galaxy were not obscured, it would be visible by naked eye.

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