2011ApJ...743L..28R

Young OB associations with masses greater than 10⁴ M_☉have been inferred to exist in the Galaxy but have largely evaded detection. Recently, a candidate OB association has been identified within the most luminous star-forming complex in the Galaxy, the Dragonfish Nebula. We identify 18 young, massive stars with near-infrared spectroscopy from a sample of 50 members within the candidate OB association, including 15 O-type and 3 luminous blue variables or Wolf-Rayet stars. This number matches the expected yield of massive stars from the candidate association, confirming its existence and ability to power the parent star-forming complex. These results demonstrate the existence of a 10⁵ M_☉ OB association, more powerful than any previously known in the Galaxy, comparable in mass only to Westerlund 1. Further, the results also validate the color selection method used to identify the association, adding credence to others discovered in the same way.