Journal profile · Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Astrobiology
ISSN 1531-1074 · eISSN 1557-8070 · Mary Ann Liebert Inc. · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 2001
Astrobiology: CAS Zone 2 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.2; hybrid open access; review about 3 months (community reports); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 71 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Astrobiology is published by Mary Ann Liebert Inc. and is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Planetary Science and Exploration, Astro and Planetary Science and Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life, together about 47.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Astronomy and Astrophysics and Ecology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Astrobiology is the most-cited peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the understanding of life's origin, evolution, and distribution in the universe, with a focus on new findings and discoveries from interplanetary exploration and laboratory research. Astrobiology coverage includes: Astrophysics; Astropaleontology; Astroplanets; Bioastronomy; Cosmochemistry; Ecogenomics; Exobiology; Extremophiles; Geomicrobiology; Gravitational biology; Life detection technology; Meteoritics; Planetary geoscience; Planetary protection; Prebiotic chemistry; Space exploration technology; Terraforming
Source: LetPub
Research area (LetPub): Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Planetary Science and ExplorationPhysics and Astronomy22%
- Astro and Planetary SciencePhysics and Astronomy14.8%
- Space Science and Extraterrestrial LifePhysics and Astronomy10.3%
- Origins and Evolution of LifePhysics and Astronomy6.7%
- Spaceflight effects on biologyMedicine5.8%
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth and Planetary Sciences4.5%
- Polar Research and EcologyEnvironmental Science4.1%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.76LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 69LetPub ·
- h-index
- 132OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,414OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.15OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 13%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 28.89%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 66LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,392 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 80 | 25 | 63 |
| 2025 | 71 | 29 | 193 |
| 2024 | 81 | 48 | 474 |
| 2023 | 92 | 47 | 671 |
| 2022 | 112 | 59 | 1,448 |
| 2021 | 128 | 64 | 2,570 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Mary Ann Liebert Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2001
- ISSN
- 1531-1074
- Electronic ISSN
- 1557-8070
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Astrobiology
What CAS zone is Astrobiology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Astrobiology is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Astronomy & Astrophysics / Biology / Geosciences, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Astrobiology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.2; CiteScore 6.5, h-index 132.
How long does peer review take at Astrobiology?
Authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Which databases index Astrobiology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Astrobiology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Astrobiology open access, and what is the APC?
Astrobiology is a hybrid journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .