IC 342 (The Hidden Galaxy)

Constellation: Camelopardalis

Distance: 7-11 million light years

A large and relatively close spiral galaxy, IC 342 would be one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky (probably visible to the naked eye) if not for its location in our night sky 10.5 degrees from the galactic equator of the Milky Way, causing its light to be attenuated by dust in our own galaxy (hence its nickname, the Hidden Galaxy). Several prominent H2 regions can be glimpsed as tiny red dots in the IC 342's faint extended spiral arms.