Journal profile · Astronomy & Astrophysics
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics
ISSN 1674-4527 · eISSN 2397-6209 · IOP Publishing Ltd. · PEOPLES R CHINA · Bimonthly
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics: CAS Zone 3 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.57; hybrid open access; median 77 days to acceptance (71 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 320 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics is published by IOP Publishing Ltd. 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 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies, Astronomy and Astrophysical Research and Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies, together about 31.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Astronomy and Astrophysics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA) is an international journal publishing original research papers and reviews across all branches of astronomy and astrophysics, with a particular interest in the following topics: -large-scale structure of universe formation and evolution of galaxies- high-energy and cataclysmic processes in astrophysics- formation and evolution of stars- astrogeodynamics- solar magnetic activity and heliogeospace environments- dynamics of celestial bodies in the solar system and artificial bodies- space observation and exploration- new astronomical techniques and methods
Source: LetPub
Research area (LetPub): Astronomy & Astrophysics
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesPhysics and Astronomy13.6%
- Astronomy and Astrophysical ResearchPhysics and Astronomy10.1%
- Astrophysics and Star Formation StudiesPhysics and Astronomy8.1%
- Gamma-ray bursts and supernovaePhysics and Astronomy7.1%
- Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy7%
- Solar and Space Plasma DynamicsPhysics and Astronomy6.2%
- Astrophysical Phenomena and ObservationsPhysics and Astronomy6.2%
- Pulsars and Gravitational Waves ResearchPhysics and Astronomy6.1%
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 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 4 |
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
- 2.57LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.8LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.66LetPub ·
- h-index
- 34LetPub ·
- h-index
- 63OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 853OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.68OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 43.22%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 277LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,750 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 354 | 304 | 164 |
| 2025 | 320 | 77 | 469 |
| 2024 | 255 | 155 | 926 |
| 2023 | 288 | 267 | 2,712 |
| 2022 | 257 | 239 | 1,983 |
| 2021 | 375 | 358 | 2,659 |
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
77 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 50 days – 113 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 38 days (71 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 116 days
- Sample
- 71 articles with submission and acceptance dates (756 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 review time (community reports)
- about 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 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
- IOP Publishing Ltd.
- Country or region
- PEOPLES R CHINA
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- ISSN
- 1674-4527
- Electronic ISSN
- 2397-6209
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics
What CAS zone is Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics 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 Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.57; CiteScore 4.4, h-index 63.
How long does peer review take at Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics?
Based on the dates recorded on 71 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 77 days (interquartile range 50–113 days); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “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 Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics open access, and what is the APC?
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics 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: .