C5

IC 342 is a face-on spiral galaxy in Camelopardalis, about 10.7 million light-years away. It would be one of the brightest galaxies in the sky if not heavily obscured by dust in our Milky Way's disk. It is the principal member of the IC 342/Maffei group.

A challenging target due to heavy Milky Way foreground extinction. Requires dark skies and at least a 6-inch telescope. Appears as a large, very faint, diffuse glow. Use low power and averted vision. Best on autumn and winter evenings.

Discovered by W.F. Denning in 1892. Its proximity was not recognized until later because foreground extinction dims it by several magnitudes. Sometimes called the "Hidden Galaxy."