IC 342 Galaxy
Galaxy

IC 342 Galaxy

IC 342 · Camelopardalis
These photons are ~11.4 million years old
UV/IR
Date
2026-03-20
Location
52.7618° N, 2.3776° W
Integration
9m (55 × 10s)
Software
ZWO Seestar app
Notes
—
Plate solve
Centre RA
3h 47m 35.6s
Centre Dec
+68° 22′ 14″
Field
42.8′ × 76.1′
Pixel scale
1.19″/px
Orientation
-131.2° E of N
TelescopeZWO Seestar S50
CameraZWO Seestar S50 Camera
RigFamily Holiday Rig
Captured from · United Kingdom
52.7618° N, 2.3776° W · open map ↗

Where to find it

Interactive sky chart centred on 3 47 35.6 +68 22 14, with constellation stick figures overlaid. Locate shows the whole constellation with the target ringed; Field zooms to the close-up. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, click any star to identify it. Imagery: DSS colour survey via CDS Aladin Lite. Constellation figures © Dominic Ford (GPLv3).

A face-on spiral that would be one of the brightest galaxies in the sky were it not heavily obscured by Milky Way dust. Despite the extinction it shows well-defined arms; a strong IR source and often called the Hidden Galaxy.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of object is IC 342?
IC 342 is a galaxy.
Which constellation is IC 342 in?
IC 342 lies in the constellation Camelopardalis.
How far away is IC 342?
The light in this image left IC 342 roughly ~11.4 million years ago, so that is how far back in time you are seeing it.
What are the coordinates of IC 342?
IC 342 sits at right ascension 03h 47m 36s and declination +68° 22′ 14″ (J2000).
When is the best time to photograph IC 342?
IC 342 is circumpolar from around 54°N — it never sets, and rides highest (about 75° altitude) on evenings around November.
What equipment was used to photograph IC 342?
This image of IC 342 was captured with ZWO Seestar S50 and ZWO Seestar S50 Camera.
How much exposure time went into this image?
This image of IC 342 represents 9m (55 × 10s) of total integration time.