2-Methyl-4-nitro-1-(3-pyridyl)-1H-imidazole

The imidazole and pyridine rings in the title compound, C9H8N4O4, are twisted with respect to one another, with a dihedral angle of 48.30 (4)°. The nitro group is almost coplanar with the imidazole plane. The crystal packing involves some weak C—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, of which the strongest, between the imidazole CH group and a nitro O atom [H...O 2.396 (15) Å], forms a centrosymmetric dimer.