★ The seventh edition has already been printed!
★ By Nikolai Gorikavii, a world-renowned astrophysicist and cosmologist, PhD in Physics and Mathematics, author of science and science fiction books, recipient of the National Research Council Award from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and awards from the American Astronomical Society, as well as the youngest-ever laureate of the Soviet State Prize! His works have been licensed for publication in China!
★ This series uses vivid and engaging fairy-tale formats to recount authentic stories of cosmic scientific discoveries from ancient times to the present, effectively sparking children’s interest in science and encouraging deep reflection on scientific concepts. It is an excellent resource for cultivating children’s scientific literacy and spirit of exploration.
The series comprises six titles: “Stellar Vitamins,” “Celestial Mechanics,” “The Maker of Eras,” “The Cosmic Detective,” “The Electric Dragon,” and “The Unexplored World.”

While detectives scour crime scenes for clues, astrophysicists act as “cosmic detectives,” using telescopes and microscopes to explore the universe. They seek answers in the light of distant stars, ancient photographic plates, and the tiniest spectral lines. To grasp the vastness of the cosmos, one must also delve into the minuscule structure of atoms and the quantum laws that govern stellar light. The profession of a cosmic detective is a relatively new field, emerging at the intersection of the microscopic world and the universe. Many consider it to be the most fascinating occupation on Earth.
In the book “Cosmic Detectives,” Princess Quintara leads her children, Galatia and Andrei, on a journey to uncover genuine scientific discoveries. Join them as they explore how scientists unraveled the composition of stars, confirmed the existence of black holes, refuted philosopher Auguste Comte’s claim that “we shall never know what stars are made of,” and why the universe is not silent but whispers to us through light—revealing how great ideas can arise from the faintest traces…
“Cosmic Detectives” invites you into a world where science is the most thrilling adventure. This is a spirit-of-discovery book: each chapter presents a new clue, and every discovery celebrates curiosity triumphing over ignorance. There are no dry lectures here—only vivid, engaging stories told in the style of a detective narrative, chronicling humanity’s quest to “read” the universe.

[Review Experts for This Book]
Alexander Pavlovich Vasilikov — Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Alexander Yuryevich Isupov — Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Andrei Verkhovich Kayava — Candidate of Biological Sciences
Jürgen Rüdiger — Medical Physicist, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Vladislav Vyacheslavovich Sychenko — Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Tatyana Aleksandrovna Tyidakova — Astronomer, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Evgeny Leonidovich Chentsov — Astronomer, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Jürgen Rüdiger — Expert in X-ray Radiation Detectors

[Author] Nikolai Nikolaevich Gor’kavyi (1959)
A world-renowned astrophysicist and cosmologist, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, and author of scientific and science fiction books.
He graduated from the Department of Physics at Chelyabinsk State University in 1981, completed his postgraduate studies at the Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1986, and earned his doctoral degree from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Moscow State University in 1990. For 12 years he worked at the Simeiz Observatory, where he was awarded the Soviet Union’s final State Prize in Astrophysics for predicting a satellite of Uranus. At the age of 30, Nikolai Gor’kavyi became one of the youngest recipients of this prestigious award. In 1998, he received another accolade for his research on zodiacal dust and was invited by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to join NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where he studied under Nobel laureate John Mather and was subsequently honored by the U.S. Academy. Together with John Mather, he theoretically predicted exoplanets near the stars Vega and Epsilon Eridani. Asteroid 4654 Gor’kavyj is named in his honor; the International Astronomical Union approved this designation in 1997, stating, “It is named in memory of Nikolai Nikolaevich Gor’kavyi, an employee of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, an astrophysicist and cosmologist, who developed a unified model for the formation of the satellite systems of Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, and explained the origin of the irregular satellites of giant planets as well as the characteristics of Neptune’s rings.” Since 2011, he has been working with NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite team. He also serves as the director of the private Greenwich Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in Virginia.
Nikolai Gor’kavyi has authored over one hundred scientific papers and several monographs, as well as numerous scientific publications and science fiction works for both adults and children, including “Physics of Planetary Rings: Celestial Mechanics of Continuous Media,” “The Chelyabinsk Superbolide,” “The Oscillating Universe,” “Celestial Mechanics,” “The Creator of Time,” “Interstellar Vitamins,” and the “Mowgli Girl in Outer Space” series, among others.

[Awards and Recognition]
1989: Received the State Prize of the Soviet Union.
1992: Awarded by the American Astronomical Society.
1993–1995: Twice recognized by the International Science Foundation.
1993–1998: Two grants from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.
1998–2000: Awarded by the National Research Council of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
2009: The “Interstellar Orphan” volume of the “Mowgli Girl in Outer Space” series won the “Nomad” award in the “Image of the Future” category. It was also shortlisted for the “Beloved Dream” Children’s Book Literary Award in the “Best Work in Science Fiction or Fantasy” category.
2010: The character Nikki from the “Mowgli Girl in Outer Space” series was awarded the “Running on the Waves” prize for Best Female Character in a Fantasy Work.
2012: Received the “Brilliant Past” People’s Scientific Achievement Award from the Government of Chelyabinsk Oblast and the Oleg Mitiaev Foundation.
2014: Honored with NASA’s Robert H. Goddard Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement.
2021: Awarded the Beliaev Prize for a collection of scientific fairy tales, including “Interstellar Vitamins” (2012), “Celestial Mechanics” (2013), and “The Creator of Time” (2014), among others.

Preface to the Cosmic Detective / 5
Kant, the Cosmic Voyager: A Philosopher Mistaken for a Recluse / 9
Fraunhofer, the Glassmaker, and the Secrets of Sunlight / 35
Hertz and the First Radio Receiver / 55
Röntgen: Invisible Rays, Visible Bones / 73
Saint-Victor and Becquerel’s Strange Radiation / 91
The Philosopher’s Stone and a Tutor Who Won Two Nobels / 103
Planck: Curves Under Electric Light and the Constant / 125
Rutherford: When Atoms Met the Cosmos / 139
The Super-Detective Bohr: Bridging Atoms, Spectral Lines, and Quantum Mechanics / 155
Duke de Broglie: The World’s Most Peculiar Wave / 175
Heisenberg: A Brilliant Physicist Who Knew Nothing / 187
The Silent Dirac: A Double World and Dirac’s Sea / 199
Shklovsky: All-Waveband Astronomy and Extraterrestrial Civilizations / 217
The Merry Gamow: The Icy Breath of a Hot Universe / 241
Penzias and Wilson: Telephone Engineers Who Heard the Universe’s Whisper / 271
John Mather: Measuring the Glow of the Darkest Celestial Bodies / 295