IC 342

IC 342 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation giraffe. The galaxy is located near the galactic equator where dust veil make it difficult for the amateur and professional astronomers to observe the object. The term "IC " in the name stands for the index catalog, published a late 19th and early 20th century astronomical catalog of galactic nebulae, star clusters and galaxies.

IC 342 is one of the brightest galaxies in the Maffei group of galaxies, the group of galaxies, which lies closest to the Local Group. The galaxy was discovered in 1895 by William Frederick Denning. Edwin Hubble took initially, they belong to the Local Group, which later turned out to be wrong. In the center of IC 342 clouds were detected from hot (412 degrees Kelvin ) ammonia gas .. Furthermore, using the Very Large Array was discovered in the galaxy silicon monoxide.