===== Methanol in Space ===== Methanol, CH3OH, also known as methyl alcohol, was among the early molecules to be detected in space. Its was first detected toward Sagittarius A and Sgr B2 in its //A// symmetry //a//-type //Q//-branch transition 110 – 111 near 834 MHz by:\\ J. A. Ball, C. A. Gottlieb, A. E. Lilley, and H. E. Radford,\\ **[[http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/180654|Detection of Methyl Alcohol in Sagittarius]]**\\ //Astrophys. J.// **162**, L203–L210 (1970). Soon thereafter, 5 subsequent //E// symmetry //Q//-branch transitions with 4 ≤ //J// ≤ 8 and //K// = +2 – +1 near 25 GHz were detected toward Orion A by:\\ A. H. Barrett, P. R. Schwartz, and J. W. Waters,\\ **[[http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/180793|]]**\\ //Astrophys. J.// **168**, L101–L106 (1971). ---- Contributor(s): H. S. P. Müller; 1, 2010 ----