- The use of telescopes to measure various aspects of bodies in space, such as their temperature and composition.
- Findings from the use of spectroscopy in chemistry laboratories can be employed in determining the types of molecules in astronomical bodies (e.g. a star or an interstellar cloud)
- There are limitations on measurements due to electromagnetic interference and, more problematic, the chemical properties of some molecules. E.g. the hydrogen gas molecules does not have a dipole interaction, so it is not detected by radio telescopes.