Optical Spectroscopy of Extraterrestrial Molecules

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Space is not empty. In the vast regions between stars is a complex soup of molecules. Some of these molecules get incorporated into meteorites and find their way to Earth where they can be identified. Analysis has yielded amino acids; the building blocks of life, but these molecules do not match what we know about the interstellar regions. Interstellar molecules are identified by their spectra, but many features in these spectra are unknown. Could they be caused by the missing molecules? In this project we combine the skills of three spectroscopists, each expert in different areas, in an attempt to make these molecules in the laboratory, measure their spectra and thereby identify these unknown molecules that are in space.