Interstellar molecule · CH₃OH
Methanol
A key complex organic molecule that forms not in the gas but on the icy surfaces of dust grains, by the step-by-step addition of hydrogen to frozen carbon monoxide. It is a stepping stone toward the larger organic molecules found around young stars.
Highlights
- ›Built atom by atom on icy grains
Environments, telescopes & molecules
Across astrochemistry
Knowledge connections
- Associated withGrain-Surface Chemistry
- Associated withInterstellar Dust
- Associated withGrain-Surface Chemistry
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.