The Astrophysical Journal · 1971 · 146 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesAstronomyPhysicsAstrophysicsExtragalactic AstronomySpectroscopyInterstellar ChemistryInterstellar GasEmission-line DiagnosticsLine Emission Spectra
An emission line has been observed in the direction of the continuum source Sgr B2, and identified with the lu-ho transition of interstellar formic acid at 1638.805 MHz. This is the first organic acid detected in interstellar space.