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 fast 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 400+ other free LaTeX templates — at letx.app/templates. Everything is MIT-licensed and compiles in your browser in seconds.
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 seconds, 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).