The crystalline structure of anthracene (C14H10) under high pressure was studied performing angle dispersive x-ray diffraction experiments using synchrotron radiation in combination with Rietveld refinements and rigid body approximation. High hydrostatic pressure was applied up to 27.8 GPa using a diamond anvil cell. Full structural information (molecular orientations and lattice constants) is given up to a pressure of 20.3 GPa. At the highest pressure of 22.7 GPa the unit cell volume is decreased by 36.8%. Fourier transformation of the diffracted intensities reveals the electron density distribution within the unit cell. A pressure induced increase of the electron densities between adjacent molecules is observed. These findings are shown to be in agreement with theoretical calculations and hint towards the evolution of the anisotropic conductivity with pressure. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.