The Sh2-294 \hii region ionized by a single B0V star features several infrared excess sources , a photodissociation region , and also a group of reddened stars at its border .
The star formation scenario in the region seems to be quite complex .
In this paper , we present follow-up results of Sh2-294 \hii region at 3.6 , 4.5 , 5.8 , and 8.0 \mu m observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera ( IRAC ) , coupled with H _ { 2 } ( 2.12 \mu m ) observation , to characterize the young population of the region and to understand its star formation history .
We identified 36 young stellar object ( YSO , Class I , Class II and Class I/II ) candidates using IRAC color-color diagrams .
It is found that Class I sources are preferentially located at the outskirts of the \hii region and associated with enhanced H _ { 2 } emission ; none of them are located near the central cluster .
Combining the optical to mid-infrared ( MIR ) photometry of the YSO candidates and using the spectral energy distribution fitting models , we constrained stellar parameters and the evolutionary status of 33 YSO candidates .
Most of them are interpreted by the model as low-mass ( < 4 M _ { \odot } ) YSOs ; however , we also detected a massive YSO ( \sim 9 M _ { \odot } ) of Class I nature , embedded in a cloud of visual extinction of \sim 24 mag .
Present analysis suggests that the Class I sources are indeed younger population of the region relative to Class II sources ( age \sim 4.5 \times 10 ^ { 6 } yr ) .
We suggest that the majority of the Class I sources , including the massive YSOs , are second-generation stars of the region whose formation is possibly induced by the expansion of the \hii region powered by a \sim 4 \times 10 ^ { 6 } yr B0 main-sequence star .