The Cosmos without Myths. From UFOs to Astrological Predictions: How Scientists Test and Debunk Cosmic Sensations

Did you know that police chases after UFOs usually end at Venus? That astrological predictions have been tested on thousands of marriages and professions — and they didn't work?

Vladimir Surdin, an astronomer at Moscow State University, has been popularizing space sciences for half a century. His new book is an objective scientific investigation. You will learn how the scientist explains the Petrozavodsk phenomenon, unravels the mysteries of "lunar bases," and explains why our brain sees saucers where Starlink satellites fly. You will find out how the mysterious "giant sphere" over Ivanovo turned out to be the ordinary Moon on the horizon and why cosmonauts see "UFOs" that turn out to be particles of their own spacecraft.

There is no belief or disbelief here. Only a clear algorithm: how to distinguish an "Iridium" flare from an alien ship, how to assess the angular size of an object, and why a horoscope is not science but a social drug.

For everyone who prefers facts over magic, and reality over fairy tales. For those who want to strive to understand.