Identified Cometary Species

Species with 1 atom

H hydrogen
     
Alaluminum
C carbon O oxygen
S sulfur N nitrogen
Na sodium K potassium
Ca calcium Cr chromium
Mn manganese Fe iron
Ni nickel Cu copper
V vanadium Co cobalt
Mo molybdenum Tititanium
Mg magnesium Si silicon
C+ Ca+

Species with 2 atoms

CN cyanide radical
     
CS carbon monosulfide
CO carbon monoxide NH imidyl radical
S2 diatomic sulfur C2 diatomic carbon
OH hydroxyl radical SO? sulfur monoxide
SH? NO?
CH 12C13C
13CN CO+
SH+ OH+
N2+ CN+
CH+

Species with 3 atoms

H2O water
     
HDO monodeuterated water
CO2 carbon dioxide C3 triatomic carbon
H2S hydrogen sulfide NH2 amidyl radical
SO2 sulfur dioxide HNC hydrogen isocyanide
HCO formyl radical HCN hydrogen cyanide
OCScarbonyl sulfide H2O+
HCO+ CO2+
H2S+ H13CN
DCN

Species with 4 atoms

H2CS thioformaldehyde
     
H2CO formaldehyde
HNCO isocyanic acid NH3 ammonia
C2H2 acetylene HNCO-

Species with 5 atoms

HCOOH formic acid
     
HC3N cyanoacetylene
CH4 methane NH4+ ammonium ion

Species with 6 atoms

CH3OH methyl alcohol
     
CH3CN methyl cyanide
NH2CHO formamide

Species with 8 atoms

C2H6 ethane
     
HCOOCH3 methyl formate

Other

silicates
     
uncharacterized hydrocarbons

(This list was last revised on August 5, 1997.)