The discovery of the wide presence of organic matter in the Universe came as a surprise to the scientific community. Over the past 30 years, many extraterrestrial organic molecules and solids have been identified by spectroscopic or laboratory means. This book summarizes the observational evidence for organic matter in the Solar System, stars and interstellar space, and distant galaxies. Our current understanding of the origin and distribution of organic matter is also discussed. Special emphasis is put on the commonality and links between organics observed in stars and meteorites, asteroids, comets, and interplanetary dust particles. The possibility that the Earth inherited complex organic compounds produced by stars has raised new questions about how life originated on our planet.

This book is a useful introduction for students and scientists in astronomy, chemistry, biology, geology, physics and space science who wish to gain an overview of this fascinating subject. The inclusion of many up-to-date references provides a solid platform for researchers to enter this field.

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