Hidden Galaxy IC 342
Explanation:
Similar
in size to large, bright spiral galaxies in our neighborhood,
IC 342
is a mere 10 million light-years
distant in the long-necked,
northern constellation
Camelopardalis.
A sprawling
island universe,
IC 342 would otherwise be a prominent galaxy in our night sky,
but it is hidden from clear view and only
glimpsed through the veil of stars, gas and dust clouds
along the plane of our own
Milky Way galaxy.
Even though IC 342's light is dimmed by intervening
cosmic clouds, this
sharp telescopic
image traces the galaxy's own obscuring dust, blue star clusters,
and glowing pink star forming regions along spiral arms that wind far from
the galaxy's core.
IC 342 may have undergone a recent burst of
star formation activity and is
close enough to have gravitationally
influenced the evolution of the
local group
of galaxies and the Milky Way.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
