Biography of astronomer Nicolae Donitch launched at Republic of Moldova's Embassy

The biography book "Nicolae Donitch, a pioneer of the International Astronomical Union" by astronomer Magda Stavinschi was launched on Thursday at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Bucharest, with Ambassador Mihai Gribincea remarking on the occasion that the volume can be a very good calling card for both Romania and Moldova. 

Gribincea described astronomer Nicolae Donici as a "Romanian of Bessarabian extraction", but that through his activity he can be easily called "a man of the Universe". 

The diplomat added that he discovered the personality of Donici only late. 

"Although I attended the Faculty of History and defended a dissertation in history, given that many people and personalities had been somewhat silently shelved, I didn't know anything about Nicolae Donici and I think I wasn't the only one in this situation," the Ambassador said. 

Magda Stavinschi, the author of the volume put out by the Eikon publishing house, spoke of her research for the book, likening it to the efforts of a detective. "One can say with good reason that in the case of Donici truth is stranger than fiction," she stressed, adding that the volume will also be presented abroad, at the festive session in Vienna for the celebration of the International Astronomical Union's centennial, where Stavinschi is invited to speak about this pioneer in astronomy. 

In the end, Magda Stavinschi briefly reviewed the highlights of the life of the Bessarabia-born researcher, who was a passionate sun eclipse hunter. "I think the life he lived and the way he was discovered over years would indeed make the subject of a movie," she said.