IC 342 is a challenging cosmic target. Although it is bright, the galaxy sits near the equator of the Milky Way’s galactic disc, where the sky is thick with glowing cosmic gas, bright stars, and dark, obscuring dust. As a result IC 342 is relatively difficult to spot and image, giving rise to its intriguing nickname: the “Hidden Galaxy”. IC 342 (also known as Caldwell 5) is situated in the constellation Camelopardalis at a distance of about 10 million lightyears.
IC 342
Telescope: 16″ f3.75 Dream Scope
Camera: FLI ML16803
Mount: ASA DDM85
Exposure: 7.5 hours (39x300s L + 3x17x300s RGB)
Date: August 2020
Location: Southern Alps, France
larger FOV with IC 342
Bart Delsaert - Astrophotography 