Dundee Physicists feature in inspiring children's book, Mimi’s Space Adventure

The Physics department at the University of Dundee are celebrating a stellar achievement as Dr Aurora Sicilia-Aguilar and PhD student Ruhee Kahar have been chosen as role models for the children’s book Mimi’s Space Adventure, produced by the Institute of Physics (IOP). The book aims to inspire young readers to explore the wonders of the universe and highlights the diverse scientists behind these incredible discoveries.

Mimi’s Space Adventure tells the story of Mimi, a curious girl who loves asking questions about the universe. After winning a competition with her essay, Everything I’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Space, Mimi is thrilled to visit mission control. Through her exciting journey, readers learn about space exploration and the real-life scientists who make it all possible.

Dr Aurora Sicilia-Aguilar, whose research focuses on star formation and protoplanetary disks, is delighted to share her passion for astrophysics with young readers. Her work explores the formation and evolution of stars, particularly stars like our Sun. She uses data from multiple ground- and space-based telescopes to track the processes that happen in young stars to lead to planetary systems like our own. She is also a pioneer in the use of stellar variability as a means to "use time to map space" uncovering details what cannot be resolved by single telescope observations.

Dr Sicilia-Aguilar said, “It is great to see that people from more diverse backgrounds are presented as role models for future generations, and that we get to share the wonders of exploring the universe to understand how it works.”

PhD student Ruhee Kahar, who works with Dr Sicilia-Aguilar, shares the excitement. She said, “I'm glad we are able to help encourage more young people to see themselves as future scientists and Mimi's Space Adventure proves that curiosity is the first step toward exploring the extraordinary."

By featuring Dr Sicilia-Aguilar and Ruhee Kahar, Mimi’s Space Adventure highlights the importance of diversity in science and encourages children—especially girls and those from underrepresented backgrounds—to see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and explorers.

The University of Dundee is proud to see its physicists featured in this inspiring project, which will help spark curiosity and enthusiasm for science in children for years to come.

Study astrophysics

At the University of Dundee, we offer degrees where you can study physics:

• Physics BSc (Hons)
• Physics with Astrophysics BSc (Hons)
• Physics with Renewable Energy Science BSc (Hons)