{"id":2805,"date":"2026-02-20T15:50:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T15:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/?p=2805"},"modified":"2026-02-24T11:40:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T11:40:39","slug":"mhairi-finlayson-reading-the-suns-magnetic-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/20\/mhairi-finlayson-reading-the-suns-magnetic-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Mhairi Finlayson: Reading the Sun\u2019s magnetic story"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2807 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/files\/2026\/02\/Mhairi-at-Kennedy-Space-Centre-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"Mhairi Finlayson wearing a dark blue collared shirt stands outdoors at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with green grass and shrubland behind them. Several tall launch structures and towers are visible in the distance under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>\u201cI hope I\u2019m contributing, even in a small way, to answering the big question of how the Sun works and how it influences Earth.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Mhairi Finlayson is a Data Scientist working on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imperial.ac.uk\/space-and-atmospheric-physics\/research\/missions-and-projects\/space-missions\/imap\/\">Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP)<\/a>, a spacecraft launched in September 2025. IMAP is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/\">NASA<\/a> mission and Imperial is leading on the probe\u2019s magnetometer, one of ten scientific instruments on the probe.<!--more--><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Understanding the Sun<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2809\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2809\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"wp-image-2809 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/files\/2026\/02\/Magnetometer-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up view looking straight down the interior of a large cylindrical metal chamber in a laboratory setting. Inside the chamber is a compact scientific instrument with cables and wiring attached, positioned on a support structure. The polished inner surface of the chamber creates circular reflections, and the surrounding lab area is visible in soft focus through the opening.\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2809\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Imperial physicists have built a magnetometer (MAG) instrument for the mission, which will measure the interplanetary magnetic field around the spacecraft.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>IMAP is designed to investigate the heliosphere, the vast region of space surrounding the Sun, and to deepen our understanding of space weather. Its magnetometer detects solar magnetic fields, which create spectacular auroras but can also affect astronauts and interfere with electricity grids on Earth. The aim of the project is to build a clearer picture of solar behaviour and to provide advance warnings when large magnetic pulses are heading our way.<\/p>\n<p>Mhairi explains: \u201cThe Sun is our closest star and by studying it we\u2019re trying to understand the bigger picture of how stars function. I hope I\u2019m contributing, even in a small way, to answering the big question of how the Sun works and how it influences Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the data scientist supporting the magnetometer, Mhairi plays a central role in preparing the instrument to measure magnetic fields once IMAP reaches its orbit. A big challenge is the influence of the magnetic field from the probe impacting the readings. \u201cMy job is to take magnetic field data measured in space and attempt to remove the influence of the spacecraft from that data.\u201d To achieve this Mhairi writes data processing software to enable this to happen at scale.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>A sunrise launch to remember<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In September she travelled to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to witness the spacecraft\u2019s launch \u2013 a moment she describes as surreal and unforgettable. \u201cWatching the IMAP spacecraft launch at sunrise from the same pad Apollo used, it was magnificent,\u201d she says. Her parents joined her for the trip, making the milestone even more special.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2811\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2811\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"wp-image-2811 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/files\/2026\/02\/Mhairi-with-parents-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"Mhairi and her parents stand close together outdoors with their arms around each other, posing for a photo at a Kennedy Space Center viewing area. Behind them, a launch pad and a rocket are visible in the distance against a bright sky. The person in the center wears a dark polo shirt with \u201cIMAP\u201d and \u201cImperial\u201d logos, and the person on the right wears a cap with a Kennedy Space Center patch.\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2811\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mhairi and her parents with the rocket that carried IMAP in the background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Soon after the launch, she flew to Colorado to support the first activation of the magnetometer in space. Seeing the data come in for the first time brought the mission to life. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to forget when you\u2019re debugging code in an office in London, that what you\u2019re working on has a real-world impact \u2013 far beyond just lines on a screen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Watching the magnetometer boom unfold in space was another highlight for her. \u201cSeeing it fold out in real time and watching the spacecraft\u2019s magnetic field drop away \u2013 those are the moments you realise it\u2019s really measuring space.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>A path through science and technology<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Mhairi says she has always been drawn to the space industry, so when the opportunity arose to join the IMAP team, she knew it was the right fit. \u201cI\u2019ve always been interested in the space industry. Applying my data and software skills to an industry I was really passionate about just felt like the right opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What stands out most about working at Imperial for Mhairi is the people. \u201cMy colleagues are smart, competent, and such a joy to work with,\u201d she says. \u201cEven when the deadlines are intense, they take it in their stride.\u201d The camaraderie, she adds, helps make challenging periods feel more manageable.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2810\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2810\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" class=\"wp-image-2810 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/files\/2026\/02\/Mhairi-speaking-2-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"Mhairi stands on a stage holding a microphone in front of a large screen displaying a spacecraft model against a starry background, with the word \u201cIMAP\u201d shown in the upper left corner. The stage is lit with blue accent lighting, and the person appears to be presenting or speaking to an audience.\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2810\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mhairi delivering a talk at the Kennedy Space Centre before the rocket launch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As a woman working in computer science and space technology, Mhairi recognises both the progress being made and the challenges that remain, but she hopes to inspire more women girls into science. \u201cThere aren\u2019t always many women in computer science and tech fields,\u201d she says. \u201cBut there are more of us than you might think doing this work \u2013 and you can be one of them too, if you stick with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For her, building a network has been essential. \u201cHaving a network of friends in scientific fields has helped me hugely,\u201d she explains. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s just knowing other people like you are there.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Relaxing with whodunits<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When she\u2019s not working on spacecraft data, Mhairi enjoys travelling back to Scotland to see friends and family. She\u2019s also a dedicated reader, particularly of crime fiction. \u201cI\u2019m a massive Agatha Christie fan,\u201d she admits. \u201cI spend a significant amount of time either reading murder mysteries or just buying them and admiring them on my shelf.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI hope I\u2019m contributing, even in a small way, to answering the big question of how the Sun works and how it influences Earth.\u201d Mhairi Finlayson is a Data Scientist working on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), a spacecraft launched in September 2025. IMAP is a NASA mission and Imperial is leading on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1793,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[294815],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-research-staff"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mhairi Finlayson: Reading the Sun\u2019s magnetic story - Imperial people<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/20\/mhairi-finlayson-reading-the-suns-magnetic-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mhairi Finlayson: Reading the Sun\u2019s magnetic story - Imperial people\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cI hope I\u2019m contributing, even in a small way, to answering the big question of how the Sun works and how it influences Earth.\u201d Mhairi Finlayson is a Data Scientist working on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), a spacecraft launched in September 2025. 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