Laser-induced dispersed fluorescence spectra of TaN molecules, produced in a free-jet apparatus, have been studied. Two spin components of the lowest-lying a(3) Delta state along with their vibrational structure have been observed. The A(1) Delta state, which was predicted earlier by ab initio calculation has also been observed. The X-1 Sigma(+) ground state vibrational progression up to v = 9 has been recorded. The experimentally determined term energies and vibrational constants at equilibrium for the ground and a(3) Delta states are in fairly good agreement with the ab initio values reported earlier. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.