Journal profile · ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
ISSN 2296-987X · Frontiers Media S.A. · Switzerland
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences: CAS Zone 3 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.34; fully open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 14 weeks (community reports); 191 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is published by Frontiers Media S.A. and is in Zone 3 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics, Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics and Astro and Planetary Science, together about 44.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Astronomy and Astrophysics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is a multidisciplinary journal that unravels the mysteries of the universe by exploring all areas of astronomy and space sciences. Led by Field Chief Editor Julio Navarro (University of Victoria, Canada) and supported by an outstanding editorial board of international experts, this broad-scope journal is indexed in Web of Science (SCIE) and Scopus, and covers all areas of astronomy and space science from planetary science to extragalactic astronomy, to high-energy and astroparticle physics. The journal welcomes submissions across a range of specialties. Topics include, but are not limited to: astrobiology astrochemistry astronomical instrumentation astrostatistics cosmology exoplanets extragalactic astronomy fundamental astronomy high-energy and astroparticle physics local universe low-temperature plasma physics nuclear physics planetary science space physics stellar and solar physics. Manuscripts whose content does not have a fundamental basis in the advancement of astronomy and space sciences are not within the scope of this journal. Examples of such articles include, but are not restricted to, articles whose primary focus is the development or application of statistical or computational methods, or those that primarily focus on organizational or communication aspects without a firm grounding on astronomy and space sciences. This journal aims to publish articles that advance scientific developments in these fields, and to make them widely available by allowing unrestricted access to researchers and general public alike. Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is a European Physical Society Recognised Journal. Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 13%); most named United States 4, Italy 3, Spain 3, Mainland China 2, Germany 1 (16 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamicsPhysics and Astronomy17.5%
- Solar and Space Plasma DynamicsPhysics and Astronomy17.4%
- Astro and Planetary SciencePhysics and Astronomy10%
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesPhysics and Astronomy7.1%
- Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.8%
- Earthquake Detection and AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences5%
- Astrophysics and Star Formation StudiesPhysics and Astronomy4%
- Planetary Science and ExplorationPhysics and Astronomy3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | 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 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceINSPECPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Astrophysics Data System, CLOCKSS, Crossref
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
- 2.34LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.63LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.93LetPub ·
- h-index
- 51OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 624OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.29OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 99.85%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 170LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,002 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 204 | 204 | 41 |
| 2025 | 191 | 191 | 396 |
| 2024 | 237 | 237 | 1,012 |
| 2023 | 346 | 346 | 2,722 |
| 2022 | 447 | 447 | 4,982 |
| 2021 | 246 | 246 | 4,289 |
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 14 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 14 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | CHF 1,950 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | CHF 1,950 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 2,125 | Yes | — |
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)
Article types accepted5
- editorialEditorialLength not stated
- methodsMethodsLength not stated
- original researchOriginal ResearchLength not stated
- perspectivePerspectiveLength not stated
- reviewReviewLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Use of AI to create written or visual content
Authors should not list a generative AI technology as a co-author or author of any submitted manuscript. Generative AI technologies cannot be held accountable for all aspects of a manuscript and consequently do not meet the criteria required for authorship. If the author of a submitted manuscript has used written or visual content produced by or edited using a generative AI technology, this use mu…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Safeguards against financial conflicts of interest
Only leading researchers acting as Associate Editors, who are not part of Frontiers' staff, can make acceptance decisions based on reviews performed by external experts acting as Community Reviewers or Reviewers. None have a financial incentive to accept articles, i.e. they are not paid for their role as Associate Editor or community Reviewer, and any award scheme is not linked to acceptances of m…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Open access and copyright
Figures, tables, and images published under CC-BY; permission required for copyrighted third-party material. Model summary
All Frontiers' articles from July 2012 onwards are published with open access under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (the current version is CC-BY, version 4.0). This means that the author(s) retains copyright, but the content is free to download, distribute, and adapt for commercial or non-commercial purposes, given appropriate attribution to the original article. Upon submission, the author(s)…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access and copyright
Open access under CC-BY license (version 4.0) for all articles from July 2012 onwards. Model summary
All Frontiers' articles from July 2012 onwards are published with open access under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (the current version is CC-BY, version 4.0). This means that the author(s) retains copyright, but the content is free to download, distribute, and adapt for commercial or non-commercial purposes, given appropriate attribution to the original article. Upon submission, the author(s)…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Manuscripts must meet international English language standards. Model summary
Our rigorous, transparent peer review process combines expert review and constructive dialogue to strengthen your manuscript.
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
- Frontiers Media S.A.
- Country or region
- Switzerland
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2296-987X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
What CAS zone is Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is in Zone 3 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Astronomy & Astrophysics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.34; CiteScore 5.5, h-index 51.
How long does peer review take at Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences?
Authors report an average review time of about 14 weeks. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences based?
Of the 16 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 13%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (4), Italy (3) and Spain (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science and INSPEC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is a fully open-access journal. APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website, DOAJ; 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: .