Interstellar Molecules . The Cosmic Ice Laboratory . NASA

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The Cosmic Ice Laboratory

This image of the Orion nebula was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. (Image from C.R. O'Dell, NASA, and NSSDC.)

Interstellar Molecules

Shading indicates an identification made by IR, Vis, or UV spectra.
Unshaded entries were detected by radio or microwave methods.
"?" indicates an uncertain or controversial detection.
Molecules in blue have been identified in the ice phase as well as the gas phase.

Molecules with 2 atoms
H₂ hydrogen	CO carbon monoxide	CSi carbon monosilicide	CP carbon monophosphide
CS carbon monosulfide	NO nitric oxide	NS nitric sulfide	SO sulfur monoxide
HCl hydrogen chloride	NaCl sodium chloride	KCl potassium chloride	AlCl aluminum monochloride
AlF aluminum monofluoride	PN phosphorus mononitride	SiN silicon mononitride	SiO silicon monoxide
SiS silicon monosulfide	NH imidyl radical	OH hydroxyl radical	C₂ diatomic carbon
CN cyanide radical	HF hydrogen fluoride	FeO iron monoxide	LiH lithium hydride
CH methylidyne	CH⁺	CO⁺	SO⁺
SH mercapto radical	O₂ oxygen	N₂ nitrogen	CF⁺ carbon monofluoride cation
PO phosphorus monoxide		AlO aluminum monoxide

Molecules with 3 atoms
H₂O water	H₂S hydrogen sulfide	HCN hydrogen cyanide	HNC hydrogen isocyanide
CO₂ carbon dioxide	SO₂ sulfur dioxide	MgCN magnesium cyanide	MgNC magnesium isocyanide
NaCN sodium cyanide	N₂O nitrous oxide	NH₂ amidogen radical	OCS carbonyl sulfide
CH₂ methylene	HCO formyl radical	C₃ triatomic carbon	C₂H ethynyl radical
C₂O ketenylidene	C₂S thioxoethenylidene	AlNC aluminum isocyanide	HNO nitrosyl hydride
SiCN silicon monocyanide	N₂H⁺	SiNC silicon isocyanide	c - SiC₂ silicon dicarbide
HCO⁺ formyl cation	HOC⁺	HCS⁺	H₃⁺
OCN^- solid-phase only	HCP phosphaethyne	CCP

Molecules with 4 atoms
NH₃ ammonia	H₂CO (?) formaldehyde	H₂CS thioformaldehyde	C₂H₂ acetylene
HNCO isocyanic acid	HNCS thioisocyanic acid	H₃O⁺ hydronium ion	SiC₃ silicon tricarbide
C₃S tricarbonsulfide	H₂CN methylene amidogen	c - C₃H cyclopropynylidyne	l - C₃H propynlidyne
HCCN	CH₃ methyl radical	C₂CN cyanoethynyl radical	C₃O
HCNH⁺	HOCO⁺ protonated CO₂	C₃N^-	HCNO fulminic acid

Molecules with 5 atoms
CH₄ methane	SiH₄ silane	CH₂NH methyleneimine	NH₂CN cyanamide
CH₂CO ketene	HCOOH (?) formic acid	HCC-CN cyanoacetylene	HCC-NC isocyanoacetylene
c - C₃H₂ cyclopropenylidene	l - C₃H₂	CH₂CN cyanomethyl radical	H₂COH⁺ protonated formaldehyde
C₄Si	C₅	HNCCC	C₄H
C₄H^-			HC(O)CN cyanoformaldehyde

Molecules with 6 atoms
CH₃OH methanol	CH₃SH methanethiol	C₂H₄ ethylene	H(CC)₂H diacetylene
CH₃CN methylcyanide	CH₃NC methylisocyanide	HC(O)NH₂ formamide	HCC-C(O)H propynal
HC₃NH⁺ protonated cyanoacetylene	HC₄N cyanopropenylidene	C₅N	C₅H
H₂CCCC butatrienylidene	H₂CCNH keteneimine	C₅N^-	c-H₂C₃O cyclopropenone

Molecules with 7 atoms
CH₂CH(OH) vinyl alcohol	c - C₂H₄O ethylene oxide	HC(O)CH₃ acetaldehyde	H₃C-CC-H methylacetylene
CH₃NH₂ methylamine	CH₂CH(CN) acrylonitrile	HCC-CC-CN cyanobutadiyne	C₆H hexatriynyl radical
C₆H^- hexatriyne anion

Molecules with 8 atoms
CH₃COOH acetic acid	HC(O)OCH₃ methyl formate	HOCH₂C(O)H glycolaldehyde
H₃C-CC-CN cyanomethylacetylene	H₂C₆ hexapentaenylidene	H(CC)₃H triacetylene
H₂C=CH-C(O)H propenal	CH₂CCHCN cyanoallene	C₇H
H₂NCH₂CN aminoacetonitrile

Molecules with 9 atoms
(CH₃)₂O dimethyl ether	CH₃CH₂CN ethylcyanide	CH₃CH₂OH ethanol
CH₃C₄H methylbutadiyne	HCC-CC-CC-CN cyanohexatriyne	C₈H
CH₃C(O)NH₂ acetamide	C₈H^-	CH₃CHCH₂ propylene

Molecules with 10 atoms
(CH₃)₂CO acetone	HOCH₂CH₂OH ethylene glycol
H₃C-CH₂-C(O)H propanal	CH₃(CC)₂CN methylcyanodiacetylene

Molecules with 11 atoms
HCC-CC-CC-CC-CN cyanooctatetrayne	CH₃C₆H methyltriacetylene	HC(O)OCH₂CH₃ ethyl formate

Molecules with 12 atoms
C₆H₆ benzene	CH₃CH₂CH₂CN n-propyl cyanide

Molecules with 13 atoms
HCC-CC-CC-CC-CC-CN cyanodecapentayne

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