Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics

In November 1960, the board of directors of the nonprofit publisher Annual Reviews began investigating the need for a new journal of review articles that covered developments in astronomy and astrophysics. The board consulted an advisory group of experts, including Ronald Bracewell, Robert Jastrow, Joseph Kaplan, Paul Merrill, Otto Struve, and Harold Urey. The editorial committee met in August 1961 to determine the authors and topics for the first volume, which was published in 1963.{{Cite journal|date=1963-09-01|title=Preface by The Editorial Committee|url=https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.aa.1.010163.100001|journal=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics|volume=1|issue=1|doi=10.1146/annurev.aa.1.010163.100001|issn=0066-4146|url-access=subscription}} As of 2020, it was published both in print and electronically.{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates| title=Expected Publication Dates| access-date=25 November 2020| website= Annual Reviews}}

The Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics defines its scope as covering significant developments in astronomy and astrophysics, including the Sun, the Solar System, exoplanets, stars, the interstellar medium, the Milky Way and other galaxies, galactic nuclei, cosmology, and the instrumentation and techniques used for research and analysis.{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreviews.org/journal/astro| title=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics| access-date=25 November 2020| website=Annual Reviews}} As of 2024, Journal Citation Reports gives the journal an impact factor of 26.3, ranking it second out of 84 journals in the category "Astronomy and Astrophysics". It is abstracted and indexed in Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded, Civil Engineering Abstracts, Inspec, and Academic Search, among others.{{cite MIAR |issn=0066-4146| title=Astronomy and Astrophysics | access-date=18 November 2020}}

The Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics is led by the editor or co-editors. They are is assisted by the editorial committee, which includes associate editors, regular members, and occasionally guest editors. Guest members participate at the invitation of the editor, and serve terms of one year. All other members of the editorial committee are appointed by the Annual Reviews board of directors and serve five-year terms. The editorial committee determines which topics should be included in each volume and solicits reviews from qualified authors.{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreviews.org/page/authors/editorial-policies| title=Editorial Principles and Policies| website=Annual Reviews| access-date=24 November 2020}} Unsolicited manuscripts are not accepted. Peer review of accepted manuscripts is undertaken by the editorial committee.{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreviews.org/page/authors/author-instructions/unsolicited-authors| title=Information for Unsolicited Authors and Reviewers| access-date=24 November 2020| website=Annual Reviews}}

Dates indicate publication years in which someone was credited as a lead editor or co-editor of a journal volume. The planning process for a volume begins well before the volume appears, so appointment to the position of lead editor generally occurred prior to the first year shown here. An editor who has retired or died may be credited as a lead editor of a volume that they helped to plan, even if it is published after their retirement or death.

• Leo Goldberg (1963–1973){{Cite journal|last=Goldberg|first=Leo|date=1973|title=Preface by The Editor|journal=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics|language=en|volume=11|issue=1|pages=annurev.aa.11.010173.100001|doi=10.1146/annurev.aa.11.010173.100001|issn=0066-4146|doi-access=free}}
• Geoffrey Burbidge (1974–2004){{cite journal |last1=Burbidge |first1=Geoffrey |title=Preface by The Editor |journal=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics |date=September 1974 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=|doi=10.1146/annurev.aa.12.010174.100001 |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.aa.12.010174.100001 |access-date=28 July 2021|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal|date=2005|title=Preface|url=http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.aa.43.080505.100001|journal=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics|language=en|volume=43|issue=1|pages=|doi=10.1146/annurev.aa.43.080505.100001|issn=0066-4146 |last1=Blandford |first1=Roger |last2=Kormendy |first2=John |last3=Van Dishoeck |first3=Ewine |url-access=subscription}}
• Roger Blandford (2005–2011){{Cite journal|date=2009|title=Preface|url=http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.aa.47.082009.100001|journal=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics|language=en|volume=47|issue=1|pages=|doi=10.1146/annurev.aa.47.082009.100001|issn=0066-4146 |last1=Blandford |first1=Roger |url-access=subscription}}{{cite web |title=EDITOR OF THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS - VOLUME 49, 2011 |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/db/directory?2011,astro |website=Annual Reviews |access-date=28 July 2021}}
• Ewine van Dishoeck and Sandra Faber (2012–2021){{cite web |title=CO-EDITORS OF THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS - VOLUME 50, 2012 |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/db/directory?2012,astro |website=Annual Reviews |access-date=28 July 2021}}{{Cite journal|last1=van Dishoeck|first1=Ewine F.|last2=Kennicutt|first2=Robert C.|date=2020-08-18|title=Introduction|journal=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics|volume=58|issue=1|pages=v–vii|doi=10.1146/annurev-aa-58-081420-100001|issn=0066-4146|doi-access=free|bibcode=2020ARA&A..58....0V }}{{cite web |title=CO-EDITORS OF THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS - VOLUME 59, 2021 |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/db/directory?2021,astro |website=Annual Reviews |access-date=28 July 2021}}
• Ewine van Dishoeck and Robert C. Kennicutt (present){{cite web |title=CO-EDITORS OF THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/db/directory?0000,astro |website=Annual Reviews |access-date=28 July 2021}}

As of 2025, the editorial committee consists of the co-editors and the following members:{{cite web|url=https://www.annualreviews.org/db/directory?0000,astro| title=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Current Editorial Committee| access-date=March 2, 2025| website=Annual Reviews}}

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• Conny Aerts
• Sarah Gibson
• Xiaohui Fan
• Eve C. Ostriker
• Jonathan J. Fortney
• Hans-Walter Rix

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Previous members (as of 2022) include: Joss Bland-Hawthorn and Eliot Quataert.

• List of astronomy journals

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{{Annual Reviews publications|state=collapsed}}

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Astronomy and Astrophysics

Category:Annual journals

Category:Astronomy journals

Category:Astrophysics journals

Category:Academic journals established in 1963

Category:English-language journals

Category:Physics review journals