About
My name is Mari-Liis Aru (see the pronunciation guide below) and I'm an astrophysics researcher in the area of star and planet formation. In Sept. 2022, I joined the group of Dr. Carlo F. Manara at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Germany as a PhD student. My work focuses on analyzing the properties of protoplanetary disks—the birthplaces of planets. In particular, I use observational data to study the impact of externally photoevaporating winds on disks. You can read about the ERC-funded WANDA project on the team's website.
My background includes a master's degree in Space Sciences from University of Liège, Belgium, and a two-year research experience at the European Space Agency (ESA), the Netherlands. Find more at the research section.
Online, you can find me sharing digestible explainers of complex topics with the aim to bring space exploration closer to a general audience. See the newsletter I publish on Substack. Besides astronomy and outreach, I’m an enthusiast for languages* and photography.
* Mari rhymes with starry, Liis is pronounced like Lee's.
* I speak Estonian, English, and rusty French (mastering the correct conjugation of verbs according to both mood and tense is on my to-do list, next to 'go to space'), and I'm learning the basics of German and Ukrainian.
My background includes a master's degree in Space Sciences from University of Liège, Belgium, and a two-year research experience at the European Space Agency (ESA), the Netherlands. Find more at the research section.
Online, you can find me sharing digestible explainers of complex topics with the aim to bring space exploration closer to a general audience. See the newsletter I publish on Substack. Besides astronomy and outreach, I’m an enthusiast for languages* and photography.
* Mari rhymes with starry, Liis is pronounced like Lee's.
* I speak Estonian, English, and rusty French (mastering the correct conjugation of verbs according to both mood and tense is on my to-do list, next to 'go to space'), and I'm learning the basics of German and Ukrainian.
Research |
Image: ESA/Hubble
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Read about research on externally photoevaporated planet-forming disks, and micrometeoroid study at the Lagrange 2 point.
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OutreachI'm active in science outreach, by being a speaker at events, writing popular science articles, and creating informational posts on social media. You can see examples of my involvement here.
Eestikeelne lehekülg siin. For collaborations and your outreach opportunities, please see the contact page below. |
FAQ / Tips / ResourcesFind some basic information on different fields linked to space, opportunities at ESA, and frequently asked questions related to space careers.
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