Gordon to discuss Saturn exploration mission at UVa-Wise Nov. 15

Mitch Gordon, assistant professor of astronomy and physics at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, will discuss his work with the Cassini-Huygens Mission to explore Saturn during a lecture on Monday, Nov. 15. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 1 p.m. in the auditorium of the UVa-Wise Science Center.

The Cassini-Huygens Mission is a joint effort of NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency. The spacecraft entered orbit around Saturn in early July to begin a planned four-year mission to study the Saturn system. In January 2005, the Huygens probe, which is currently attached to the Cassini spacecraft, is scheduled to land on Saturn’s moon, Titan.

Gordon, a member of one of the Cassini research teams, will present some of the discoveries and insights gained to date from the exploration.

Gordon’s research efforts have primarily focused on the interactions of the rings and satellites of Saturn. He has carried out a variety of studies related to the dynamics and structure of Saturn’s F Ring and undertaken a search for previously undiscovered satellites of Saturn. Much of his early work was done to support mission planning for Cassini. While most of his research efforts involve analyzing data returned by NASA spacecraft, he also has some experience observing with large telescopes including observations of the main belt asteroids as well as Saturn and its rings.

Gordon holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from California State University, Long Beach and master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Following a career in the United States Air Force, Gordon became an instructor for the University of Maryland’s European division, teaching various science and mathematics courses in Germany and England. Simultaneously, he entered graduate school at Queen Mary College, University of London (QMUL) where he earned a postgraduate diploma in astrophysics and a Ph.D. in astronomy.

He stayed an additional two years at QMUL as a post doctoral research assistant and then returned to the United States as a scientific programmer supporting the Mars Pathfinder Mission for the U. S. Geological Survey’s Astrogeology Division. He left that position to return to teaching at Polk Community College in Florida.

In 2000, Gordon accepted a position at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California as the assistant manager of the Planetary Rings Node of the Planetary Data System, where he was responsible for coordinating the archive planning for all of the rings data projected to be returned by the Cassini spacecraft.

Gordon joined the UVa-Wise faculty in 2004, however, he remains involved with the Planetary Rings Node.

For more information, contact the Office of College Relations at 276-328-0130.