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Planetary Radio • May 27, 2026

Los Angeles Astronomical Society celebrates 100 years of looking up

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On This Episode

Laura may abron portrait

Laura-May Abron

Vice President and Centennial Committee Chair, Los Angeles Astronomical Society

Ed krupp portrait

Ed Krupp

Director of Griffith Observatory

Bryce bolin portrait

Bryce Bolin

Research Scientist at Eureka Scientific, Inc.

Bruce betts portrait hq library

Bruce Betts

Chief Scientist / LightSail Program Manager for The Planetary Society

Sarah al ahmed headshot

Sarah Al-Ahmed

Planetary Radio Host and Producer for The Planetary Society

Also in this episode:

  • Keith Armstrong, President, Los Angeles Astronomical Society
  • Geo Somoza, Telescope Operator at Griffith and Mt. Wilson Observatories
  • Louis Chilton, Historian, Los Angeles Astronomical Society
  • Jeff Schroeder, Optical Engineer and Telescope Builder, Los Angeles Astronomical Society

The Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS) is one of the oldest and largest amateur astronomy clubs in the United States, and this year, it’s turning 100. To mark the occasion, the LAAS threw a centennial star party on the lawn of Griffith Observatory, featuring 100 telescopes, a dedication ceremony, and a community of passionate skywatchers who showed up rain and all.

In this episode, we sit down with Laura-May Abron, vice president of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society and chair of its Centennial Committee, to discuss what it took to put together the event. We drop into the centennial dedication ceremony to hear from LAAS President Keith Armstrong and Griffith Observatory Director Ed Krupp. We also spend time with some of the remarkable members who make this community what it is, including LAAS historian Louis Chilton, who has been a member for over 60 years, research scientist and LAAS member Bryce Bolin, self-taught optician and telescope builder Jeff Schroeder, and Geo Somoza, volunteer at The Planetary Society and one of the people who has dedicated his life to showing others the sky. Plus, Bruce Betts joins us for What's Up and a look at what you can spot in the night sky in June.

LAAS Centennial Cookie
LAAS Centennial Cookie A commemorative cookie given to members at the Los Angeles Astronomical Society centennial star party at Griffith Observatory on April 25th, 2026.Image: Sarah Al-Ahmed / The Planetary Society
Ed Krupp holds the LAAS Centennial dedication plaque
Ed Krupp holds the LAAS Centennial dedication plaque Ed Krupp, director of Griffith Observatory, holds up the dedication plaque during the LAAS centennial ceremony on April 25, 2025. The bronze plaque will be permanently installed in the Wilder Hall of the Eye inside Griffith Observatory, recognizing 100 years of public service by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society.Image: David Pinsky
City of Los Angeles Centennial Recognition
City of Los Angeles Centennial Recognition A resolution from the City of Los Angeles recognizing the Los Angeles Astronomical Society on the occasion of its hundredth anniversary.Image: Sarah Al-Ahmed / The Planetary Society
Laura-May Abron LAAS Centennial speech
Laura-May Abron LAAS Centennial speech Laura-May Abron, vice president of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, addresses the crowd during the centennial dedication ceremony at Griffith Observatory.Image: David Pinsky
Jeff Schroeder and His Telescope
Jeff Schroeder and His Telescope Jeff Schroeder stands with his homemade 11-inch refracting telescope, the largest portable refracting telescope in the world, mounted on his car at the LAAS centennial star party.Image: Sarah Al-Ahmed / The Planetary Society
LAAS Centennial Star Party
LAAS Centennial Star Party Members of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society gather on the lawn of Griffith Observatory with a hundred telescopes to mark the organization's hundredth anniversary.Image: Sarah Al-Ahmed / The Planetary Society

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