Two Students Shine in Regional Astronomy Competition

Two SCH students, Leo Cohen ’26 and Claire Lynch ’27, have earned top honors in the prestigious Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers (DVAA) Youth Award High School division, a regional competition recognizing excellence in astronomy research.

Leo Cohen’s Project on Muon Detection Earns Second Place

Cohen won second place for his project, "High-Altitude Ballooning for Muon Detection: Preliminary Testing for an International Research Collaboration." This project previously earned third place in the physics category at the Delaware Valley Science Fair and also placed first at the George Washington Carver Science Fair. Cohen’s submission is a collaborative effort with 11th-grade classmates Aaron Jia, Judah Meyer, and Reed Knoblock. Their multi-year project focuses on investigating cosmic rays in the Earth's atmosphere using particle detectors floating on high-altitude balloons. The team is set to present further results from their recent findings at the Academic High Altitude Conference at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, in late June.

Claire Lynch Secures Third Place with "Radio is Stellar"

Lynch took home third place for her project, "Radio is Stellar." This impressive research also recently secured first place at both the PJAS regional and state meets. She dedicated the fall to obtaining her amateur radio license (call sign KC3ZYB) and spent the winter meticulously studying the relationship between radio signals and solar and atmospheric conditions.

Both Lynch and Cohen will receive a certificate, a cash prize, and the opportunity to present their groundbreaking work at an upcoming DVAA summer meeting.