Astrophysicist Emma Louden ’20 Pens Children’s Books About Space

Long before studying astrophysics at Princeton — or even knowing what astrophysics was — Emma Louden ’20 discovered her fascination with space, stars, and planets. She was just 6 years old. 

She grew up dreaming of becoming a dancer or teacher but was intrigued by the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers and the games she played on nasa.gov. Later, when an eighth-grade teacher introduced her to the field of astrophysics, she knew she had found her calling.

“As the bookworm that I am, I spent the next couple of years reading every book that I could get my hands on about astrophysics,” Louden said. “And then as I started to research which colleges and programs had astrophysics, I very quickly came across Princeton and learned that they have the best astrophysics department in the country and one of the best in the world.”

There Louden conducted groundbreaking research while collaborating with faculty who she says make Princeton’s astrophysics department a particularly special place with their patience, kindness, and support. She also learned how to communicate complex topics through writing, a skill she put to use last year in publishing her first children’s book, Mia and the Martians.

The story resembles her own path to discovering a passion for space exploration. It also touches on mental health themes, as the character of Mia explores feelings of anxiety in both her personal challenges and the unknown elements of all that exists in the sky above us. 

This upcoming January, Louden will continue the story with Mia Goes to the Moon, a second book that delves into the private space industry and humanity’s push to revisit the moon. “The goal is to really expose another part of the space industry that’s really exciting and interesting for kiddos who may not have perspective on what’s happening,” and maybe also pique the interest of parents who’d be curious to find out more, Louden says.

Weaving the complexity of space into engaging storylines for children of all ages is no easy task. Louden uses various methods to produce stories that resonate with kids, including tools she learned while studying at Princeton. One class she says was particularly impactful to her was on storytelling and climate change, where she learned the power of connecting to people’s emotions. 

Through her books, Louden hopes to inspire the next generation to pursue an interest in the ever-evolving space industry, just like she did as a kid. She pairs this mission with her day-to-day role as president of Slooh, a global astronomy company that has created a network of online telescopes students and others can use to remotely explore space for themselves. 

“For me, Mia is a creative extension of the work that I do every day for Slooh,” Louden said. “It’s a fun way to honor the younger version of myself, who I think would be pretty happy with how things are going.”