Behold: NGC 7000, aka The North American Nebula (because it looks a little like it) – a star forming region in the constellation of Cygnus. The magnitude of star formation is normally difficult to assess because the nebula contains think dust clouds which block visible light (top pic). But switch the wavelength (pix 2-4) and things get a whole lot more ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’. To wit:
A view of the North America Nebula in infrared light by the orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope has peered through much of the dust and uncovered thousands of newly formed stars. Rolling your cursor over the above scientifically-colored infrared image will bring up a corresponding optical image of the same region for comparison. The infrared image neatly captures young stars in many stages of formation, from being imbedded in dense knots of gas and dust, to being surrounded bydisks and emitted jets, to being clear of their birth cocoons. The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) spans about 50 light years and lies about 1,500 light years away toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus). Still, of all the stars known in the North America Nebula, which massive stars emit the energetic light that gives the ionized red glow is still debated.
Full sized image here (well worth a gander).
(Image: NASA, JPL-Caltech, L. Rebull (SSC, Caltech); DSS, D. De Martin)