This kidney-shaped HII region is the intersection point of two massive giant molecular clouds (100 thousand and 300 thousand solar masses respectively) with intense star formation. Infrared analysis using the Spitzer space telescope has found 86 young stellar objects within Sh 2-235.
One of these molecular clouds, 
G174+2.5, contains Sh 2-231, Sh 2-232, Sh 2-233, and Sh 2-235 and lies at a distance of about 1800 pc.
Sh 2-235 is ionised by the O9.5 V star 
BD +35 1201. Avedisova places this nebula in star formation region 
SFR 173.61+2.80 with 54 components, including 7 masers, the smaller HI region 
BFS 46 and several Herbig-Haro objects.
Sh 2-231 to Sh 2-235 form a complex of HII regions located together in the Perseus arm in the outer galaxy. This complex may be associated with an old (330 thousand years) supernova remnant, 
FVW 172.8+1.5.
You can 
view a larger visual frequency image of Sh 2-235 here and an 
infrared image here.
				
					Spitzer study. [
1]
This apparently tiny HII region is in fact the intersection point of two massive giant molecular clouds (100 thousand and 300 thousand solar masses respectively) with intensive star formation occurring. It is excited by the O9.5 V star BD+35 1201. [
2]
Sh 2-231 to Sh 2-235 form a complex of HII regions located together in the Perseus arm in the outer galaxy. This complex may be associated with an old (330 thousand years) supernova remnant, 
FVW 172.8+1.5. [
3]
There is a giant molecular cloud containing Sh 2-231, Sh 2-232, Sh 2-233, and Sh 2-235 that is at a distance of about 1800 pc.[
4]
Notes
 1. ^ Dewangan, L. K. & Anandarao, B. G. (2011). "Infrared photometric study of 
the massive star-forming region S235 using Spitzer-Infrared Array Camera 
and JHK observations", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,  
Vol. 414, 1526-1544. [2011MNRAS.414.1526D] 
 2. ^ Lafon, G., Baudry, A., de La Noe, J., et al. (1983). "The molecular 
cloud-H II region complexes associated with SH 90 and SH 235", Astronomy 
and Astrophysics,  Vol. 124, 1-10. [1983A&A...124....1L] 
 3. ^ Kang, Ji-hyun, Koo, Bon-Chul, & Salter, Chris (2012). "An Old Supernova 
Remnant within an H II Complex at l ≈ 173°: FVW 172.8+1.5", The 
Astronomical Journal,  Vol. 143, 75. [2012AJ....143...75K] 
 4. ^ Shepherd, D. S. & Watson, A. M. (2002). "A Detailed Study of G173.58+2.45: 
an Intermediate-Mass Star-forming Region", The Astrophysical Journal,  Vol. 
566, 966-973. [2002ApJ...566..966S]