SH2-235, as designated in the Sharpless catalog , is a kidney shaped HII region formed when two large clouds of gas collided. The nebula is part of a larger complex consisting of SH 231,232 and 233. The complex lies in the constellation Auriga. The distance to SH2-235 is somewhat unclear. Observations made with the WISE space telescope indicate it lies between 5,219 and 8,154 light years from the Earth. Other estimates place it approximately 6,000 light years distance. Infrared studies of the object reveal extensive formation of new clusters of stars embedded within the cold clumps of gas and dust within the nebula.
The image above is known as a mapped, or false, color image and was acquired using narrowband filters. It was assembled using the standard Hubble palette with SII mapped to Red, Ha mapped to Green and OIII mapped to Blue.
1http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_sh_2-235.html