ALLIANCE- Physics major, Logan Good ’25 traveled to Mount Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles, California. Here, Good immersed himself in the Summer Observational Astrophysics Retreat (SOAR) where he gained hands-on skills in the physics and astronomy fields.

Good '25, outside of a telescope observatory room

The SOAR astrophysics camp ran from Sunday, July 28 through Saturday, August 10, 2024, where Good learned to implement research skills, collecting and analyzing data as well as collecting observations in the astronomy field. Conducting research allowed Good to apply the knowledge he gained at the retreat enhancing the skillset he has built at Mount Union.

“My favorite part of the trip was getting to use the 100" telescope,” said Good. “It is the same telescope that Edwin Hubble, [American astronomer] used to make several breakthroughs, and the scale of it is enormous.”

Good '25, learning about and working with a telescope 

Fascinated with the learning experiences that SOAR gave him, Good explains that Jodi McCullough, professor in the department of biochemistry, chemistry, and physics, helped him apply for a spot in the program.

“I aspire to earn a PhD and study gravitational waves at an institution like Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO),” explained Good. “This experience helped me get hands-on experience with different kinds of telescopes and understand the different processes that go into making scientific observations.”

Good '25 exploring the city

To prepare for a future full of research, Good has prepared himself by conducting hands-on projects with faculty members in the physics field at Mount Union. Alongside Dr. Steven Cederbloom, associate professor in physics and astronomy, Good worked on measuring the amount of dark matter in the spiral galaxy M88 and presented his final project at SCHOLAR Day as a freshman. This research led Good to New Mexico and West Virginia to learn about and use different telescopes.

“[Although, I’ve had research opportunities at Mount Union,] my favorite experience has been traveling to California to learn about and research the different properties of comets 13P/Olbers and C/2021 S3,” said Good.

Good '25 applying his learning skills to hands-on research at SOAR

Continuing to enhance his research skills, Good is preparing to work alongside Mount Union faculty to present a second project at this spring's SCHOLAR Day.