The galaxies of this group have probably once formed a subgroup of our Local Group, which during the dynamical history of the group, have been ejected because of a violent encounter with the Andromeda Galaxy M31. Since, they have moved away to an about 10 million light years distance.

As the Maffei 1 group lies very close to the Galactic plane (the equatorial plane of our Galaxy), it is highly obscured by the dark dusty matter of our Milky Way. Only one of them, IC 342, has got an IC number, and none is in the NGC.

The known galaxies in this group are (in the order of their discovery):

• IC 342 (UGC 2847). Discovered by W.E. Denning in 1895.
• Maffei 1 (UGCA 34). Discovered by Paolo Maffei in 1968.
• Maffei 2 (UGCA 39) Discovered by Paolo Maffei in 1968.
• Dwingeloo 1 (PGC 100170, Cas 2) Discovered in 1994.
• Dwingeloo 2 (PGC 101304) Discovered 1995 when investigating the field around Dwingeloo 1.

Probably situated somewhat closer, spacially between our Local Group and the Maffei 1 group, are some galaxies around the nearby dwarf galaxies NGC 1569 and NGC 1560:

• NGC 1569 (H. II.768). The first of these galaxies to be discovered, on November 4, 1788 by William Herschel. Taken for a possible Local Group member by Halton Arp in 1966.
• NGC 1560 (Tempel 1882, AN No. 2660). Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel discovered this galaxy in 1882. Taken for a possible Local Group member by Halton Arp in 1966.
• UGCA 92? Discovered 1774 by P.N. Nilson. On occasions, this galaxy was listed as a possible Local Group member.
• Cam A. Discovered 1991.

More fainter and typically smaller galaxies have been discovered semi-recently that may belong to the Maffei 1 group, or perhaps the group around NGC 1560:

• Cas 3 (KKH 5)
• KKH 6
• Cas 1 (KK 19)
• Perseus 1 (KKH 11)
• Perseus 2 (KKH 12)
• UGC 2773 (KK 28)
• MB 1 (KK 21). Dicovered 1995 by McCall and Buta.
• MB 2 Dicovered 1995 by McCall and Buta.
• MB 3 (KK 22) Dicovered 1997 by McCall and Buta.
• KK 35
• Cam B (KK 44)
• UGCA 105
• Cam D (KKH 34)
• Mailyan 16 (KKH 37)

Astronomical data for the Maffei 1 group galaxies:

Name         Con  RA (2000)  Dec  Type  mag   dim        v_r

IC 342       Cam  03:46.8 +68:06  Sc     9.1  21.4x20.9  + 31
Maffei 1     Cas  02:36.3 +59:39  E/S0  11.4   3.4x1.7   + 13
Maffei 2     Cas  02:41.9 +59:36  SBb   16.0   5.8x1.6   - 17
Dwingeloo 1  Cas  02:56.9 +58:55  SBb    8.3   4.2x0.34  +110
Dwingeloo 2  Cas  02:54.1 +59:00  Im    20.5   6.4       + 94

Cam A        Cam  04:25.3 +72:48  E     14.8   3.7x2.1   -192
NGC 1569     Cam  04:30.8 +64:51  Irr   11.2v  2.9x1.5   -153
UGCA 92?     Cam  04:32.0 +63:36  Irr   13.8   2.0x1.0   -164
NGC 1560     Cam  04:32.8 +71:53  Scd   11.5v  9.8x2.0   - 94

Cas 3        Cas  01:07.5 +51:26  Irr   17.1p     1      -166
KKH 6        Cas  01:34.9 +52:06  Irr   17.0p     1      -141
Cas 1        Cas  02:06.1 +69:01  Irr   16.4p    5.5     - 95
Perseus 1    Per  02:24.6 +56:01  Irr   16.2p    2.2     - 93
Perseus 2    Per  02:27.4 +57:29  Irr   17.8p    3.4     - 90
UGC 2773     And  02:32.1 +47:48  Irr   14.3p    1.2     + 83
MB 1         Cas  02:35.6 +59:23  Irr   19.5p    1.9     + 39
MB 2         Cas  02:37.0 +59:14  Irr?                       
MB 3         Cas  02:55.7 +58:52  dSph  19.8p    3.9     - 43
KK 35        Cam  03:45.2 +67:52  Irr                    + 32
Cam B        Cam  04:53.1 +67:06  Irr   16.7p    2.6     + 27
UGCA 105     Cam  05:14.2 +62:35  Sm    13.2p    7.4     + 76
Cam D        Cam  05:59.7 +73:26  Irr   17.1p     1      + 93
Mailyan 16   Cam  06:47.8 +80:07  Irr   16.4p     1      -157

• Ronald Buta and Marshall McCall, 1999. The IC 342/Maffei Group Revealed. Astrophysical Journal Supplement, Vol. 124, No. 1, p. 33-93 (September 1999)
• W. Huchtmeier, D. Westphahl, I. Karachentsev, and V. Karachentseva, 2001. The IC 342/Maffei Group of Galaxies. Gas and Galaxy Evolution, ASP Conference Series, Vol. 240, p. 589.
• Frank Richardsen, 2003. Die IC 342/Maffei-Galaxiengruppe [The IC 342/Maffei Group of Galaxies]. Teil [Part] I: Interstellarum No. 30, p. 46-48 (October 2003). Teil II: Interstellarum No. 31, p. 44-47 (December 2003). Teil III: To appear in 2004.

Last Modification: November 11, 2003