The 1,2,3-butatriene cation was observed with a monochromator in the optical emission from a hollow-cathode glow discharge and an extended negative glow discharge. This cation was effectively produced by the discharge of 2-butyne (H3CCCCH3), although no other organic species worked as its precursors. The observed emission bands were assigned to the 2B3u-X2B2g electronic transition on the basis of the chemical and physical investigations for the production and the reported photoelectron spectrum of H2CCCCH2. The frequency of the electronic transition鈥檚 v = 0-0 origin band was evaluated to be 20 381 cm鈭?/sup>1 from the emission band, which enables the comparison of the v = 0-0 absorption feature of with diffuse interstellar bands.