IC 342/Maffei Group | |
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![]() Maffei 1, one of the brightest galaxies in the group | |
Observation data (Epoch J2000) | |
Constellation(s) | Cassiopeia/Camelopardalis/Perseus |
Brightest member | IC 342[1] |
Number of galaxies | 16[1] |
Other designations | |
IC 342 Group, Maffei 1 Group, LGG 104 |
The IC 342/Maffei Group (also known as the IC 342 Group or the Maffei 1 Group) corresponds to one or two galaxy groups close to the Local Group. The member galaxies are mostly concentrated around either IC 342 or Maffei 1, which would be the brightest two galaxies in the group.[1] The group is part of the Virgo Supercluster.[2] However, recent studies have found that the two subgroups are unrelated; while the IC 342 group is the nearest galaxy group to the Milky Way, the Maffei 1 group is several times farther away, and is not gravitationally bound to the IC 342 group.[3][4]