ABSTRACT
The shape and strength of the near infrared (2-0) 12CO absorption bandhead provides astronomers with a unique tool for measuring stellar kinematics in galaxies with strong dust obscuration. However, the asymmetric shape of the bandhead introduces complexities when extracting the kinematics from an observed spectrum. This paper discusses the benefits, drawbacks, and observational constraints associated with using this bandhead to measure kinematics in galaxies, focusing on applications in high spectral resolution data. Additionally, we discuss techniques found useful for extracting the kinematics from the absorption feature, and outline our success with two different mothods.