Journal profile · Astronomy & Astrophysics
Icarus
ISSN 0019-1035 · eISSN 1090-2643 · Academic Press Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1962
Icarus: CAS Zone 3 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.21; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,810; review about 125 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 358 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Icarus is published by Academic Press Inc. 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 Astro and Planetary Science, Planetary Science and Exploration and Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies, together about 62% of its articles. Its main subfields are Astronomy and Astrophysics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Icarus is devoted to the publication of original contributions in the field of Solar System studies. Manuscripts reporting the results of new research - observational, experimental, or theoretical - concerning the astronomy, geology, meteorology, physics, chemistry, biology, and other scientific aspects of our Solar System or extrasolar systems are welcome. The journal generally does not publish papers devoted exclusively to the Sun or the Earth; papers on celestial mechanics or astrophysics are acceptable only if they have a clear importance for planetary science; descriptive studies of meteorites should be addressed to journals of meteoritics, but are relevant for Icarus is they provide constraints on the formation or evolution of planetesimals, planets or the solar system in its globality. Icarus does not publish papers that provide "improved" versions of Bode's law, or other numerical relations, without a sound physical basis. Icarus does not publish meeting announcements or general notices. Reviews, historical papers, and manuscripts describing spacecraft instrumentation may be considered, but only with prior approval of the editor. An entire issue of the journal is occasionally devoted to a single subject, usually arising from a conference on the same topic. The language of publication is English. American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these.Icarus is endorsed by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society.Article Collections are linked here.This journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Astronomy & Astrophysics
Editor-in-chief Alessandro Morbidelli CôtePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 11, France 7, Germany 4, Mainland China 1, United Kingdom 1 (28 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Astro and Planetary SciencePhysics and Astronomy30.5%
- Planetary Science and ExplorationPhysics and Astronomy25.1%
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesPhysics and Astronomy6.3%
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences5.6%
- Astrophysics and Star Formation StudiesPhysics and Astronomy4.3%
- Isotope Analysis in EcologyEnvironmental Science3%
- Atmospheric Ozone and ClimateEarth and Planetary Sciences2.9%
- Space Exploration and TechnologyEngineering2.7%
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 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 2 |
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
- 3.21LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.2LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.18LetPub ·
- h-index
- 135LetPub ·
- h-index
- 260OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 11,639OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.9OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 12.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 31.93%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 322LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 16,826 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 317 | 192 | 118 |
| 2025 | 358 | 208 | 691 |
| 2024 | 395 | 286 | 2,292 |
| 2023 | 378 | 271 | 3,565 |
| 2022 | 380 | 273 | 4,563 |
| 2021 | 357 | 256 | 5,210 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
125 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports 2–4 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- 2–4 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 51 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 125 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,810 / EUR 3,560 / GBP 3,050 / JPY 472,550 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,050 | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted5
- invited reviewsRegular scientific papers, Notes, Letter, Invited ReviewsLength not stated
- letterRegular scientific papers, Notes, Letter, Invited ReviewsLetters: Letters are short manuscripts on ground-breaking results, with a potential high impact factor.…Length not stated
- notesNotes: Notes are short manuscripts that present preliminary results, discuss an idea supported by some exploratory investigation, comment on a published manuscr…Length not stated
- regular scientific papersRegular scientific papers, Notes, Letter, Invited ReviewsLength not stated
- reviewRegular scientific papers, Notes, Letter, Invited ReviewsLetters: Letters are short manuscripts on ground-breaking results, with a potential high impact factor.…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Open access options Model summary
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
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
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1962
- ISSN
- 0019-1035
- Electronic ISSN
- 1090-2643
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Icarus
What CAS zone is Icarus in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Icarus 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 2 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Icarus?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.21; CiteScore 6.3, h-index 260.
How long does peer review take at Icarus?
The publisher reports about 125 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of 2–4 weeks; 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Icarus?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Icarus based?
Of the 28 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (11), France (7) and Germany (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Icarus?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Icarus is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Icarus open access, and what is the APC?
Icarus is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,810.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .