With radiation from a synchrotron we measured the spectra of pure solid methanol and of methanol dispersed in solid argon (molar ratio 200) and krypton (molar ratio 250) at 10 K from the onset of absorption in the vacuum ultraviolet region until the limits imposed by LiF windows or the Ar or Kr dispersant. We fitted the total absorption profile divided by wavenumber to gaussian curves of minimal number. and made tentative assignments of electronic transitions and vibrational structure by comparison with spectra of gaseous methanol and with energies and intensities from our published quantum-chemical calculations. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.