A tribute to the great Greek astrophysicist. The scientific community lost a remarkable person last August, Dionysis P. Simopoulos. The distinguished astrophysicist lost his battle with cancer, after bravely fighting, with all the positive energy and momentum for which he was always known in his life.

In January 2021, the first book in the series "The Secrets of the Universe" was published by Oxy Publishing, titled "The Great Adventure in Space – From Icarus to Space Colonies." In the second book, which is now available, the last corrections and notes from Dionysis Simopoulos were just incorporated. A book that he managed to oversee just before the end…

"The Secrets of the Universe" is a series of illustrated books that presents everything that modern scientists have discovered in recent years, with the help of the tools available in observatories, particle accelerators, observatories, and spaceships, about the various wonders contained in the universe. Because the universe, and everything it encompasses, is filled with secrets hidden in the luminous paths of colorful stars and bizarre planets.

Yet, with each new generation, nature allows us to see deeper into the mysteries it hides. Because, as Aristotle said 2,300 years ago: "All humans naturally desire to know," it is in human nature to want to learn. And this is what makes us seekers of knowledge, experimenters, and explorers, in an effort to discover "The Secrets of the Universe."

While the first book explores "The Great Adventure in Space," the timeless dream of humanity to walk on the surface of another world, which finally became a reality almost half a century ago, the second book takes a journey through our solar system. The story included in this book, titled "The Children of the Sun," is an ancient tale. A story of searching and exploration.

A story whose main fruits began to emerge just a few decades ago. Who could have guessed then that by the early 21st century our knowledge of the Solar System would have increased a billionfold? Who could have suspected then that we live in an era that would someday become legendary? An era that humanity would forever remember as the most incredible age of exploration ever known to man?

There is no doubt that these exploratory missions have revealed to us dozens of strange new worlds, with terrifying storms, multiple moons, toxic atmospheres, and icy surfaces. Worlds completely different from our own, although they all have one common point with us, as we share the same Sun and obey the same physical laws.

For as the poet says: "We shall never cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." T.S. Eliot