This HII region lies within the molecular cloud
[JKK96] A and is located well in front of the
GS234-02 supershell. It contains the infrared star cluster
[DBS2003] 4. Avedisova concludes that it is ionised by stars associated with the
Bochum 5 cluster, including the O9.5 V star
HD 59986, and places it in star formation region
SFR 232.56+0.89, along with several other HII regions and reflection nebulae including
VDB 97.
The class for HD 59986 is supported by a 1995 paper by Russeil, the Georgelins and colleagues. SIMBAD, however, gives the class for HD 59986 as B5, which would make it too cool to be an ionising star.
Here's another
image of this object from an astrophotographer who imaginatively calls it the Snowman nebula.
This is RCW 7. [
1]
Sh 2-302 is part of molecular cloud A in front of supershell GS234-02 and is located at a distance of 1800 pc. [
2]
Contains [DBS2003] 4. [
3]
HD 59986 is an O9.5V star that ionises Sh 2-302 and is a member of the star cluster Bochum 5B. [
4]
Notes
1. ^ Blitz, L., Fich, M., & Stark, A. A. (1982). "Catalog of CO radial
velocities toward galactic H II regions", The Astrophysical Journal
Supplement Series, Vol. 49, 183-206. [1982ApJS...49..183B]
2. ^ Jung, Jae Hoon, Koo, Bon-Chul, & Kang, Yong-Hee (1996). "GS234-02: A Star
Forming Supershell in the Outer Galaxy", The Astronomical Journal, Vol.
112, 1625. [1996AJ....112.1625J]
3. ^ Dutra, C. M., Bica, E., Soares, J., et al. (2003). "New infrared star
clusters in the southern Milky Way with 2MASS", Astronomy and Astrophysics,
Vol. 400, 533-539. [2003A&A...400..533D]
4. ^ Russeil, D., Georgelin, Y. M., Georgelin, Y. P., et al. (1995). "Galactic
HII regions at l= 234deg.", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series,
Vol. 114, 557. [1995A&AS..114..557R]