Open Access
Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A) and EDP Sciences are engaged in facilitating broad and easy access to all published scientific information and have taken numerous steps in this direction, with the different services listed below. Articles published in open access in A&A are published under a CC-BY 4.0 license which allows authors to retain the copyright and others to share and adapt the content.
Subscribe to Open
Since 2022, A&A has been published under a Subscribe to Open model (S2O). This is an alternative subscription model that allows libraries to use their collections budgets to support open access publishing. Each year, existing library customers are asked to renew their subscription. When enough subscribers commit, A&A publishes that year’s content in open access. See the FAQs for more information.
At the end of the annual renewals cycle, usually in the first quarter, an announcement is made confirming the status of the journal for that year. This announcement states whether the content will be open access or accessible only to subscribers in that year.
EDP Sciences and the Board of A&A are committed to financial transparency in the S2O programme. To support this, Astronomy & Astrophysics will periodically publish a Transparency Report when sufficient data are available to provide a clear and informative update.
Read the 2022 Transparency Report.
How the model works in practice
Every year, if enough institutions renew their subscriptions on time, the annual volume is published in open access under the S2O model.
If support is insufficient, for example, if institutions cancel or significantly delay their subscription payments, the annual volume is placed behind subscription access for that year. Authors who wish, or are required, to publish their article in open access may then choose the Open Access Option described below.
A&A’s Open Access Status under the S2O Model
A&A confirms its open access status under the Subscribe to Open model through an announcement in the first quarter of each year. These updates outline the level of support achieved and explain the open or free access conditions for each year.
- Open Access Update (2025)
A&A remained open access in 2025 following continued support from subscribing institutions.
- Open Access Update (2024)
A&A remained open access in 2024 following continued support from subscribing institutions.
Read the announcement. - Open Access Update (2023)
A&A continued to publish open access in 2023 for a second year under the S2O model.
Read the announcement. - Open Access Update (2022)
A&A confirmed sufficient support in 2022 to open the journal under S2O. Articles accepted from 4 April 2022 publish under a CC-BY 4.0 licence; earlier content was released in free access.
Read the announcement.
When S2O does not open the journal
This section applies only in the event that A&A cannot be published in open access under the Subscribe to Open model. If insufficient subscriptions prevent S2O from opening the journal, A&A will revert to subscriber-only access, and the arrangements set out below will apply.
Open access option
In the event that the journal is not publishing in open access under Subscribe to Open, then an Open Access Option is available. Authors can pay a fee of 1650 euros (2026 prices) to make their online article perpetually, universally, and freely accessible.
EDP Sciences has signed with the Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB) a German National article processing charges (APC) agreement. If you are a corresponding author affiliated with German academic institutions including universities and research institutions, not affiliated with a Max Planck Institute (whose authors benefit from an even more favorable agreement -see below), you can publish in Astronomy & Astrophysics at a 20 percent discounted APC (article processing charges) price.
Open Access Support if the Journal Does Not Open Under S2O
Corresponding authors at French institutions (see list) and at the Max Planck Institute in Germany benefit from open access publication without APCs. These institutional agreements ensure that, even if A&A cannot be published in open access under the S2O model, eligible authors can still make their articles openly available with no APCs.
Green open access
The Publisher and A&A encourage arXiv archiving under a non-exclusive license or self-archiving of the final PDF file of the article exactly as published in the journal and without any period of embargo.
In addition, authors supported in whole or in part by cOAlition S organisations are entitled to self-archive their author accepted manuscripts, without embargo, under a CC BY license in an Open Access repository of their choice.
Free access
Archives in free access
All articles published in the other sections of the Journal become freely accessible 12 months after publication.