Devoured by Darkness –
Speaker: Dr. Edwin C. Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory
Last August’s All-American Transcontinental Total Solar Eclipse crossed the entire country and confirmed the obvious. Total solar eclipses are now monumental mass entertainment and merchandising opportunities that command world attention. In the past, however, an eclipse was the last thing people wanted to see. In antiquity, an eclipse meant the foundations of the world were at risk, and to many traditional peoples, it looked as if some kind adversary was not just harassing the sun or the moon but taking a bite and swallowing it out of the sky. Ed Krupp studied physics and astronomy at Pomona College and lived for two years at the Brackett Observatory, serving as caretaker of the observatory, weatherman, and telescope demonstrator. Ed earned a BA from Pomona, and MA and PhD in astronomy from UCLA. His dissertation on the morphology of rich clusters of galaxies has been described as: “very respectable” – George Abell (his PhD advisor), “fine work; a definitive study” – Robert Chambers (his undergraduate advisor), and “a very tedious business” – Edwin Krupp.
Introduction: Bill Waggener
Fellowship: Marie Ross
Greeters: Sam Mansour and Bob Knell
Birthdays: Gail Sparks