Astronomy & Astrophysics LaTeX Templates (2026)
Astronomers write everything in LaTeX — papers, proposals, and talks. These free templates cover the whole workflow: RevTeX and AASTeX journal papers, MNRAS, arXiv preprints, telescope observing proposals, NASA grants, and a colloquium talk.
Each opens on LetX and compiles in your browser with one-second compiles and real-time co-authoring. For the full write-up, see our guide to the astrophysicist’s LaTeX setup.
The templates
REVTeX 4.2 Physics Paper
RevTeX 4.2 — the standard for Physical Review (PRD/PRL/PRX) physics papers.
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AASTeX Astronomy Paper
AASTeX 6.3.1 — for The Astrophysical Journal, AJ and other AAS journals.
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Elegant arXiv Preprint
A clean arXiv preprint layout for posting your results before review.
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Telescope Observing Proposal
A telescope observing-time proposal (Gemini/ESO/NOIRLab) with a target-list table.
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NASA ROSES Grant Proposal
A NASA ROSES / NSPIRES grant proposal with technical merit and budget tables.
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Astrophysics Beamer Talk
A modern, pdflatex-safe Beamer talk for colloquia and conferences.
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AIAA Conference Paper
An AIAA conference paper template for aerospace and space engineering.
Open in LetX →Which one should you pick?
| If you are writing a... | Use |
|---|---|
| Physics paper (APS) | RevTeX 4.2 |
| Astronomy paper (AAS) | AASTeX |
| MNRAS / RAS paper | MNRAS template |
| Telescope proposal | Observing-Time Proposal |
| NASA grant | NASA ROSES Proposal |
| Conference talk | Beamer Colloquium Talk |
Browse them all — plus 150+ other free LaTeX templates — at letx.app/templates. Everything is MIT-licensed and compiles in your browser in about a second.
Frequently asked questions
What LaTeX class do astronomy journals use?
Physical Review uses RevTeX 4.2, the AAS journals (ApJ, AJ) use AASTeX, and MNRAS uses mnras.cls. We host ready-to-use templates for all three, plus a clean arXiv preprint.
Is there a LaTeX template for a telescope proposal?
Yes — our observing-time proposal template follows the Gemini/ESO/NOIRLab style with a scientific justification and a formatted target list (RA/Dec/magnitude/exposure).
How do I cite papers from NASA ADS?
NASA ADS exports BibTeX for every paper via Export → BibTeX. Paste the entry into your .bib file and cite it with natbib's \citep/\citet, which AASTeX and MNRAS support.
Can I compile RevTeX or AASTeX without installing TeX?
Yes — open the template on LetX and it compiles in your browser in about a second, no local TeX Live needed, with full class support.
Can co-authors edit an astronomy paper together?
Yes. LetX supports real-time collaboration so co-authors edit the same source at once, and your unpublished work is never used to train AI.
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Written by Shihab Shahriar Antor — AI Engineer & Founder of Shahriar Labs. Builder of LetX (collaborative LaTeX) and QuantumSketch (AI STEM video).