Question 1

Which countries lead Astronomy and Astrophysics research?

Accepted Answer

On research quality in 2022-now, the United States, China and France rank highest in Astronomy and Astrophysics. By volume, the United States and China publish the most (33k and 17k works in 2022-now).

Question 2

Which institutions lead Astronomy and Astrophysics research?

Accepted Answer

Max Planck Society (Germany) ranks first in Astronomy and Astrophysics on research quality in 2022-now, followed by Harvard University and Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Question 3

Who are the leading researchers in Astronomy and Astrophysics?

Accepted Answer

Counting only their work in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Anton M. Koekemoer, R. Maiolino and Lars Hernquist have the most papers in the world top 10% for their subfield and year beyond the 10% expected.

Question 4

Where is Astronomy and Astrophysics research done?

Accepted Answer

The largest centres of Astronomy and Astrophysics research in 2022-now are Beijing (China), Paris (France), Moscow (Russia) and Cambridge (United States). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Australind, Nizhniy Arkhyz and Ondřejov.

Question 5

Where is the best place to study Astronomy and Astrophysics?

Accepted Answer

Among universities, judged by research, Harvard University, Princeton University and California Institute of Technology score highest, combining standing in the field's ranking, citation excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

Question 6

Is Astronomy and Astrophysics research growing?

Accepted Answer

Output in 2022-2025 was 3% higher than in 2018-2021, peaking in 2023. The fastest-growing topics are Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics, Space exploration and regulation and Relativity and Gravitational Theory.

Question 7

What are the most cited papers in Astronomy and Astrophysics?

Accepted Answer

The most cited paper in Astronomy and Astrophysics is "The Tragedy of the Commons" (Garrett Hardin, 1968), with 23,379 citations. Next come "A smooth particle mesh Ewald method" (23,377) and "The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception" (23,143).