Cassini spacecraft mission launches topics for spring MTSU Star Party series

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The spring MTSU Department of Physics and Astronomy Star Party series kicks off Friday, Feb. 2, as associate professor Chuck Higgins discusses “Cassini’s Grand Finale at Saturn.”

Higgins will give highlights of the 20-year Cassini mission during his 45- to 60-minute talk starting at 6:30 p.m. in Wiser-Patten Science Hall Room 102.

First Friday Star Parties are a way for the department to bring the MTSU, Murfreesboro and surrounding communities together. There will be a lecture followed by telescope viewing outdoors, weather permitting.

The event, which is free, is open to the general public and MTSU students and faculty. Attendees should dress warmly for the outdoor portion.

To find free parking after 6 p.m. and Wiser-Patten, visit http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap online. Handicap parking requires a state permit.

Launched in 1997, the Cassini mission to Saturn ended in September 2017.

“The grand finale was a daring six-month maneuver to alter the spacecraft orbit around Saturn, passing multiple times through Saturn’s upper atmosphere, to make a final plunge into the planet,” Higgins said. “Based on longevity and scientific discoveries, Cassini was arguably one of NASA’s most successful spacecraft missions.”

In addition to the Friday event, other Star Party topics scheduled this semester include:

• March 2— “The Invisible Universe and How We See It” (professor John Wallin).
• April 6— “Funky Fizix in Film” (professor Eric Klumpe).
• May 4— “Space Oddity” (lecturer Irina Perevalova).

For more information about the series or the astronomy program, call 615-898-2130 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/programs/astronomy/.

Including physics and astronomy, MTSU has more than 240 combined undergraduate and graduate programs. Physics and astronomy are one of 11 departments in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.