Journal profile · Astronomy & Astrophysics
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW
ISSN 0935-4956 · eISSN 1432-0754 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Quarterly · Founded 1989
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW: CAS Zone 1 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 20; hybrid open access; APC about USD 5,290; median 137 days to acceptance (19 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: mostly invited papers; 8 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies, Astronomy and Astrophysical Research and Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena, together about 36.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Astronomy and Astrophysics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review is devoted to all areas of astronomy and astrophysics, including subjects bordering on other fields. Thus developments in laboratory or particle physics directly relevant to astronomy may be included, as well as cosmic ray physics, studies in the solar system, astrobiology, instrumentation and computational and statistical methods with specific astronomical applications. It is intended that all important fields be reviewed from time to time, whereby the frequency of review will be dependent on the amount of activity in the different areas. The journal emphasizes review articles that are not only of the highest quality in their scientific content, but also have a good readability. They thereby provide an excellent starting point for scientists or students seeking access to a new or unfamiliar field as well as for researchers and lecturers in need of authoritative material in fields with which they are less familiar. "Reviews play an important role in scientific research. Most scientists looking for information in some area will begin by consulting a review and from there possibly make their way into the original literature. A few years after their appearance, most research papers will be looked at by only a few experts, but the essence of these papers will survive much longer through the reviews. It is therefore important that reviews present a reasonably complete and balanced critical view of the relevant worldwide literature. Only in this way can it be avoided that many results are 'rediscovered,' erroneously attributed or simply forgotten. The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review will provide reviews in this spirit." [Lodewijk Woltjer, Founding Editor-in-Chief, Astron Astrophys Rev (1989) 1:1]
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Astronomy & Astrophysics
Editor-in-chief Francesca MatteucciPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Germany 3, France 3, Italy 3, Switzerland 2, Taiwan, China 1 (14 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesPhysics and Astronomy15.2%
- Astronomy and Astrophysical ResearchPhysics and Astronomy11%
- Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy10.7%
- Astrophysics and Star Formation StudiesPhysics and Astronomy10.7%
- Astro and Planetary SciencePhysics and Astronomy10.1%
- Astrophysics and Cosmic PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy5.4%
- Solar and Space Plasma DynamicsPhysics and Astronomy5.3%
- Astrophysical Phenomena and ObservationsPhysics and Astronomy5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: yes
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 20LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 20.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 29.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 44.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 9.3LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 5.69LetPub ·
- h-index
- 54LetPub ·
- h-index
- 109OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 228OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 16.68OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 75%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 8LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 225,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 253 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| 2025 | 8 | 6 | 146 |
| 2024 | 7 | 6 | 216 |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 | 220 |
| 2022 | 9 | 7 | 764 |
| 2021 | 8 | 8 | 1,232 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
137 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 101 days – 176 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 62 days (19 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 199 days
- Sample
- 19 articles with submission and acceptance dates (16 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Mostly invited papersLetPub ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
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.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 5,290 / EUR 4,190 / GBP 3,590 | — | — |
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.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
Originality and exclusivity of submissions required Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required for original research Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
COPE member journal Model summary
As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) the journal will follow the COPE guidelines on how to deal with potential acts of misconduct.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Reviewer suggestions/exclusions welcome Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Production typesetting after acceptance Model summary
Upon acceptance, your article will be exported to Production to undergo typesetting.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1989
- ISSN
- 0935-4956
- Electronic ISSN
- 1432-0754
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW
What CAS zone is ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Astronomy & Astrophysics; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 20; CiteScore 44.3, h-index 109.
How long does peer review take at ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW?
Based on the dates recorded on 19 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 137 days (interquartile range 101–176 days); the community-reported acceptance is “Mostly invited papers”. 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW based?
Of the 14 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (3), France (3) and Italy (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW open access, and what is the APC?
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS REVIEW is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 5,290.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .