  Organic compounds are ubiquitous in space: they are found in diffuse clouds,
in the envelopes of evolved stars, in dense star-forming regions, in
protoplanetary disks, in comets, on the surfaces of minor planets, and in
meteorites and interplanetary dust particles. This brief overview summarizes
the observational evidence for the types of organics found in these regions,
with emphasis on recent developments. The Stardust sample-return mission
provides the first opportunity to study primitive cometary material with
sophisticated equipment on Earth. Similarities and differences between the
types of compounds in different regions are discussed in the context of the
processes that can modify them. The importance of laboratory astrophysics is
emphasized.
