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Research facility · Cambridge · United States

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

In research, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory stands highest in Physical Sciences (#1,477 of 21,541 worldwide), Astronomy and Astrophysics (#161 of 1,146 worldwide) and Physics and Astronomy (#849 of 3,663 worldwide), over all time. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 102.8× its share of world research.

cfa.harvard.edu/saoROR OpenAlex
World rank, all time
#2,198
of 42,892
Rank in United States
#602
of 8,685
Research works
2.8k
▼ 35% vs 2013–17
Citations
59k
21.0 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
18.9%
record average 16.5%
Open access
40%
world 28%

What is Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, over all time, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorks
Physical SciencesDomain #1,477 of 21,541 20.6%2,689
Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield #161 of 1,146 22.5%1,245
Physics and AstronomyField #849 of 3,663 21.6%1,810
EngineeringField #3,113 of 11,412 17.6%464
Earth and Planetary SciencesField #795 of 2,661 21.5%204
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsSubfield #1,120 of 1,908 19.5%170
Aerospace EngineeringSubfield #1,136 of 1,730 26.2%176
InstrumentationSubfield #109 of 135 19.6%147
Nuclear and High Energy PhysicsSubfield #794 of 869 23.9%126

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

What does Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 102.8× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 23.2 works103×
  2. Physics and AstronomyField · 30.1 works31×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.40× its world share, 1 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Neuroscience: 0.33× its world share, 0 worksNeuroscienceChemistry: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.43× its world share, 1 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2.81× its world share, 2 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.32× its world share, 0 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.89× its world share, 6 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.51× its world share, 1 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.05× its world share, 0 worksMaterials SciencePhysics and Astronomy: 31.17× its world share, 30 worksPhysics and AstronomyBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.53× its world share, 0 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.11× its world share, 0 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.19× its world share, 1 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 31.2×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory?

Ranked on the composite score, L. G. Jacchia, Fred L. Whipple and E. Kellogg lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

  1. 1 L. G. Jacchia · #78,138 worldwide 254 citations · 38 works
  2. 2 Fred L. Whipple · #78,881 worldwide 283 citations · 86 works
  3. 3 E. Kellogg · #86,653 worldwide 372 citations · 49 works
  4. 4 R. F. C. Vessot · #125,980 worldwide 260 citations · 52 works
  5. 5 E. L. Fireman · #275,901 worldwide 116 citations · 40 works
  6. 6 K. Aksnes · #300,337 worldwide 67 citations · 23 works
  7. 7 H. E. Radford · #302,539 worldwide 159 citations · 18 works
  8. 8 P. Foukal · #343,189 worldwide 153 citations · 56 works
  9. 9 L. Mertz · #375,776 worldwide 50 citations · 26 works
  10. 10 E. M. Gaposchkin · #383,679 worldwide 75 citations · 26 works
All ranked researchers at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Which keywords describe research at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Solar Wind, Star Formation, Exoplanets, Stellar Astrophysics, Accretion Disks, Magnetic Fields, Black Holes and Astronomical Instrumentation.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 35 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 35 words, with their numbers
  1. Solar Wind5▲ 114×2 topics
  2. Star Formation4▲ 198×2 topics
  3. Accretion Disks4▲ 210×2 topics
  4. Exoplanets4▲ 248×1 topic
  5. Magnetic Fields4▲ 152×2 topics
  6. Stellar Astrophysics4▲ 248×1 topic
  7. Black Holes4▲ 94×3 topics
  8. Astronomical Instrumentation3▲ 289×1 topic
  9. Solar System Abundances3▲ 151×1 topic
  10. Spectrograph3▲ 289×1 topic
  11. Terrestrial Planets3▲ 151×1 topic
  12. Coronal Mass Ejections3▲ 175×1 topic
  13. Solar Dynamics Observatory3▲ 175×1 topic
  14. Turbulence3▲ 71×2 topics
  15. Molecular Clouds2▲ 226×1 topic
  16. Protoplanetary Disks2▲ 226×1 topic
  17. Cosmology2▲ 73×2 topics
  18. Dark Matter2▲ 43×3 topics
  19. Galaxies2▲ 172×1 topic
  20. Gravitational Waves2▲ 86×2 topics
  21. Stellar Populations2▲ 172×1 topic
  22. Nucleosynthesis2▲ 95×3 topics
  23. Supernovae2▲ 55×2 topics
  24. Electron Acceleration2▲ 64×2 topics
  25. Galactic Center2▲ 95×2 topics
  26. Event Horizon Telescope2▲ 192×1 topic
  27. Gamma-Ray Bursts2▲ 155×1 topic
  28. Ionosphere2▲ 73×1 topic
  29. Magnetosphere2▲ 73×1 topic
  30. Neutron Stars2▲ 155×1 topic
  31. X-Ray Astronomy2▲ 192×1 topic
  32. STEM Education2▲ 8.2×4 topics
  33. Optical 3D Laser Measurement2▲ 304×1 topic
  34. Position-Sensitive Detector2▲ 304×1 topic
  35. Spectroscopy1▲ 14×4 topics

Which research topics does Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies, Astro and Planetary Science, Astronomy and Astrophysical Research and Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics.

Stellar, planetary, and …4Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies: 4 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Scie…3Astro and Planetary Science: 3 fractional worksAstronomy and Astrophysi…3Astronomy and Astrophysical Research: 3 fractional worksSolar and Space Plasma D…3Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics: 3 fractional worksAstrophysics and Star Formation Studies: 2 fractional worksGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena: 2 fractional worksIonosphere and magnetosp…2Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics: 2 fractional worksGamma-ray bursts and supernovae: 2 fractional worksAstrophysical Phenomena and Observations: 2 fractional worksAstronomical Observations and Instrumentation: 2 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsInstrumentationComputational Mechanics

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesAstronomy and Astrophysics 4 works
  2. 2 Astro and Planetary ScienceAstronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  3. 3 Astronomy and Astrophysical ResearchInstrumentation 3 works
  4. 4 Solar and Space Plasma DynamicsAstronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  5. 5 Astrophysics and Star Formation StudiesAstronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  6. 6 Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, PhenomenaAstronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  7. 7 Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamicsAstronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  8. 8 Gamma-ray bursts and supernovaeAstronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  9. 9 Astrophysical Phenomena and ObservationsAstronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  10. 10 Astronomical Observations and InstrumentationComputational Mechanics 2 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available40.3%not open59.7%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors13.5%domestic only86.5%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 35% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Cambridge

All research institutions in Cambridge

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.