RCW 42 (or Gum 26) is a giant H II region[1] in the Milky Way.

It contains DBS2003 38, a deeply embedded infrared cluster.

[2] It lies at the western edge of the immense galactic chimney GSH 277+00+36.

Not much research has been done on RCW 42, which is unusual, given that its status as a giant H II region suggests that it is one of the greatest and largest regions of star formation in the Milky Way.

[3]