What does a star factory look like, well, M17 is a perfect example. It contains the three main types of nebula, reflective (the blue light reflecting from hot blue stars), the red light from the dust and gas (mostly hydrogen) which glows red when bombarded by UV light, and the dark nebula, the dust which is foreground and hides in visible light what lies behind.
The whole structure lies across the backdrop of the centre of our own galaxy in the constellation of Sagittarius some 5-6,000 light years from Earth.
