O plimbare prin Univers

Adrian Șonka explores space near Earth and far-off stars. He looks at flight at 28,000 km/h. He asks how Earth looks through a spacecraft window. He asks what life on other planets might involve. The tour takes in harsh Venus and dusty Mars. He imagines holidays spent diving on the giant planets.

The book shows how the Sun shines. It asks where the Solar System ends. It shows how those who study stars gauge their distance. Readers meet red dwarfs and blue giants. They ask which parts of space might suit life. Șonka even asks how a monkey could find a planet.

This guide to space science is for all ages. Șonka uses humor and makes his points in plain words. He reflects on our small place in space. He also looks at our power to understand it.

This is Șonka's second book. He brings more than twenty years of work studying space. He has worked on stars whose light levels change. His work also covers asteroids, planets and occultations. In these events, one object in space hides another. He uses telescopes at the Amiral Vasile Urseanu Observatory. He also uses them at the Romanian Academy's Astronomical Institute. He studied physics and communication. But he taught himself much of what he knows about space. In 2020, he earned a doctorate in physics. His focus was the science of planets and asteroids.

He teaches in schools and bookshops. He also teaches at the Calea Victoriei Foundation. At the observatory, he gives talks in the planetarium. He leads sessions where the public can view the sky. He also takes groups outside the city to watch the sky. On his website, he writes about space and how to observe it.