Cuntz publishes children's book to promote kids' interest in astronomy

Friday, Nov 08, 2024 • Greg Pederson :

A physicist at The University of Texas at Arlington is author of a new children’s picture book which aims to spark kids’ interest in astronomy.

Manfred Cuntz, professor of physics, wrote the book, titled Fun with Three Suns in the Sky. The book is illustrated by Simona Mulazzani, an award-winning Italian artist, and is published by Innovative Ink Publishing, a division of Kendall Hunt. It tells the story of two young friends, Arena and Tom, who dream of traveling to a world which has three suns — one yellow, one orange, and one red.

The planet’s yellow and orange suns are pleasant, but the red sun emits energetic particles and dangerous radiation, forcing Arena and Tom to take refuge in a cave. The book concludes with Tom and Arena waking up safe on Earth enjoying the comfort of the terrestrial environment.

The children’s dream is inspired by the triple star system Alpha Centauri, which is the closest star system to Earth at approximately 4.2 light years away, equaling about 25 trillion miles.

Manfred Cuntz, UTA professor of physics, is author of a new children's picture book, Fun with Three Suns in the Sky.

“Astronomy helps to generate an interest in science for many children,” Cuntz said. “Most of them will not grow up to be astronomers, and that’s OK. Many will go into other fields of science, but for many of them, astronomy is that initial steppingstone which sparked their interest in science.”

Cuntz has written numerous books and book chapters, but this is his first book for children.

“Besides my multi-decade professional research in astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology, I also always had a strong interest in public outreach — especially in making use of opportunities to share my excitement about the stars in the sky with the general public, which also means kids of all ages,” he said.

The UTA Planetarium has copies of the book for sale in its gift shop. It is also included in the UTA Library Special Collections, in the Solar System section. Previously, the book was also presented as part of the 2024 Virginia Garrett Lectures. It can also be ordered online here.

Cuntz has spent more than 30 years studying the planets and stars, in particular planets where life might be possible. He earned his Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and came to UTA as a visiting professor in 2000. He joined the Department of Physics as a permanent faculty member the following year.

He was named to the UTA Academy of Distinguished Teachers in 2020. In 2007 he received the College of Science Outstanding Teaching Award, and in 2002 he received the College of Science Outstanding Research Award. He is also highly engaged in public outreach, including writing scripts for planetarium shows.

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