Edwin Charles Krupp (born November 18, 1944) is an American astronomer, researcher, author, and popularizer of science. He is an internationally recognized expert in the field of archaeoastronomy, the study of how ancient cultures viewed the sky and how those views affected their cultures. He has taught at the college level, as a planetarium lecturer, and in various documentary films. He has been the director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles since first taking over the position in 1974 after the departure of the previous director, William J. Kaufmann III. His writings include science papers and journal articles, astronomy magazine articles, books on astronomy and archaeoastronomy for adults, and books explaining sky phenomena and astronomy to children.
Krupp is a member of the American Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union, and has served in several divisions and commissions of both organizations. He is also a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a member of that organization's Council for Media Integrity.
Early life Edwin Charles Krupp was born in Chicago, Illinois, on November 18, 1944 where as a child his parents took him to many of the local museums. In 1956 the family moved to Los Angeles where Krupp's father, a mechanical engineer, worked on the Apollo program and then on the Space Shuttle.
Education In 1961 Krupp attended the Summer Science Program (SSP). Among other things, SSP teaches astronomy to high school students. Krupp has remained active with SSP, first as a graduate student teaching assistant from 1968 to 1972 and later as a frequent guest lecturer. Krupp has said of SSP,
Krupp studied physics and astronomy at Pomona College (the founding member of the Claremont Colleges consortium) in Claremont, California. His undergraduate advisor was Robert J. Chambers. While studying at Pomona College, Krupp participated in cross-country, track, and soccer. He also worked at KSPC, the Pomona College non-commercial community radio station. He lived for two years at the Brackett Observatory, during this time he served as caretaker of the observatory, weatherman, and telescope demonstrator. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966.
Krupp pursued graduate studies in astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), receiving a Master of Arts degree in 1968 and PhD in 1972. His Ph.D. dissertation concerned the morphology of rich clusters of galaxies. His graduate adviser was George O. Abell.
Career
Teaching Krupp began his teaching career as a teaching assistant for the Summer Science Program during his graduate school days. Also, during graduate school he taught at the following education institutions: El Camino College University of Southern California University of California, Los Angeles
He became a planetarium lecturer at Griffith Observatory while also still in graduate school. Krupp has been a frequent lecturer throughout his career. He has lectured on science based tours he has led and other venues.
Griffith Observatory
Krupp took his first job at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles while he was still a doctoral candidate at UCLA. This was as a part-time planetarium lecturer and Krupp did not enjoy this job at first, saying to his wife Robin, "Gee this isn't science, It's showbusiness." But, after he started noticing the audiences responding with increasing enthusiasm he started saying, "Hey, this is showbusiness."
Krupp was appointed Observatory Curator in 1972 upon completion of his PhD. In 1974 the director of Griffith Observatory, William J. Kaufmann III, left, and Krupp was appointed acting director. In 1976 Krupp's title was changed from "acting" director to director.
As early as 1978 Krupp was aware that the observatory would need a future restoration and that there was a need to update equipment and exhibits. So he and Harold and Debra Griffith co-founded the Friends of the Observatory (FOTO). FOTO aids the mission of the observatory in many ways. FOTO partnered with the city to renovate and expand the observatory raising US$30 million for the effort ($26 million in private funds). The observatory closed its doors in 2002 for the $93 Million dollar renovation and expansion. The entire project was spearheaded by Krupp, and the observatory reopened in the fall of 2006.
Krupp often appears in the media to discuss and explain developments and recent discoveries in astronomy, as well as discuss current celestial events.
In 2014 Griffith Observatory had its 80th anniversary and Krupp his 40th as observatory director. At that time, John Ashton of Sunseeker Tours in Long Beach noted, "It's an L.A. treasure. We get more requests to see this than anything." And, then LA City Councilman Tom LaBonge (whose district included the observatory) observed:
Archaeoastronomy
Krupp has a special interest in the impact of astronomy on ancient belief systems, and is an internationally recognized expert on traditional astronomies. He is noted for his many contributions to the field on which he has written extensively, and he has visited, and studied, nearly 2,000 prehistoric, and historic sites around the world.
Krupp has traveled around the world for his archaeoastronomy studies. These trips have also taken him to sites close to home such as the Burro Flats pictograph site in the Simi Hills of Southern California, which he first visited in 1979. Over the years, Krupp has made semi-regular trips to that site to conduct solstice observations.
Krupp has shared his studies of archaeoastronomy with the general public by including archaeoastronomy topics in Griffith Observatory planetarium programs, writing books and magazine articles, appearing in documentary films, and leading tours to archaeological sites that are associated with ancient astronomy.
Bibliography Krupp has written several books for adults and for children. His first two adult books (one being his doctoral dissertation), both derive from the work he did on rich clusters of galaxies while a PhD student at UCLA. His remaining adult books derive from his interests in archaeoastronomy, and contain extensive original research and analysis, while also being educational in nature. They cover astronomy in ancient cultures and the effect of beliefs about the sky on those cultures.
Books for adults Books authored, partially authored, and/or edited by Krupp for an adult audience: TitleAuthor(s)Year PublishedPublisherDescriptionReferences The Morphology of Rich Clusters of Galaxies Edwin C. Krupp1972 University Microfilms International,Ann Arbor, Michigan Doctoral Dissertation (UCLA) The Luminosity Function of E-S0 Galaxies in Rich Clusters Edwin C. Krupp1974 University of California,Los Angeles In Search of Ancient Astronomies Edwin C. Krupp (editor, principal author)1978 Doubleday,Garden City, New York Survey of the new scientific discipline of archaeoastronomy, the study of the astronomies of ancient and prehistoric times through archaeology. Echoes of the Ancient Skies: The Astronomy of Ancient Civilizations Edwin C. Krupp1983 Harper & Row,New York The study of ancient peoples' observations of the skies and the impact of those observations on their cultural evolution Archaeoastronomy and the Roots of Science Edwin C. Krupp (Editor, Author)1984 Westview Press,Boulder, Colorado Reviews recent research, on the astronomy of worldwide ancient cultures and the effects of astronomy on those cultures. Beyond the Blue Horizon – Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets Edwin C. Krupp1991 HarperCollins,New York A worldwide comparative study of celestial mythology, Skywatchers, Shamans, & Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power Skywatchers, Shamans, & Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power Edwin C. Krupp1996 John Wiley,New York Journey to the world's essential sacred places and celestial shrines and see where the rulers of old communed with the gods of the sky.Public Astronomy, Los Angeles StyleDavid DeVorkin, Edwin C. Krupp (Editors)2021Griffith Observatory, Los AngelesGriffith Observatory is the most visible agent of public astronomy in Los Angeles, but it wasn’t the first. Six experts detail this uniquely southern California story from street-corner telescopes to a street-legal Zeiss refractor mounted on the roof of a 1932 Ford.
Chapters, forewords, and research papers Krupp has also written full chapters for books edited by other authors, as well as research papers, included in publications of the proceedings of conferences where the papers were presented. Here are some examples
Time and astronomy at the meeting of two worlds : proceedings of the International Symposium held in April 27 – May, 1992 in Frombork, Poland edited by Stanislaw Iwaniszewski California Girls: Pleiades Traditions in Native California Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy edited by Clive Ruggles, Krupp wrote three chapters for this book: In Part I, Themes and Issues Chapter 5, Astronomy and power Chapter 18, Archaeoastronomy concepts in popular culture In Part III, Pre-Columbian and indigenous North America Chapter 41, Rock Art of the greater southwest Cosmology, Calendars, and Horizon-based Astronomy in Ancient Mesoamerica, edited by Anne S. DoudSusan Milbrath Krupp wrote the Foreword for this book, Astronomy, Anthropology, and Anthony Aveni Krupp has contributed to two books on the work of artist of James Turrell, Mapping Spaces : a topological survey of the work by James Turrell Authors: Craig Adcock, E C Krupp, Mario Diacono, James Turrell James Turrell: A Retrospective Authors: Michael Govan, James Turrell, Florian Holzherr, Christine Kim, Carol S Eliel, Alison Lima Greene, E C Krupp, Vivian Sobchack
Books for children Children themed books, with illustrations by Robin Rector Krupp: Title Year Published Publisher Description References The Comet and You1985 Macmillan Publishing Company, New York;Collier Macmillan, London History, appearance, and physical composition of Halley's Comet, compares it to other comets, describes its path through the Solar System, and its predicted return The Big Dipper and You1989 Morrow Junior Books New York What is known today and past beliefs about the Big Dipper, or Ursa Major. Added information on the North Star, or Polaris. The Moon and You1993 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York;Macmillan Publishing Company, New York;Maxwell Macmillan Canada, Toronto;Maxwell Macmillan International, New York Information about the Moon, describing its phases, rotation, effect on our tides, and myths and legends. The Rainbow and You2000 HarperCollins, New York;Morrow Junior Books, New York How rainbows are formed by the colors in sunlight shining through raindrops.
Magazine/journal articles Krupp was once a contributing editor to Sky & Telescope magazine and had a monthly column in that publication. The column was named Rambling Through the Skies and discussed the impact of astronomy on culture. He has also served as the editor of the Griffith Observer, the monthly magazine published by Griffith Observatory's.
Krupp has written many articles on astronomy and culture for the general reader and dozens of research papers. This list is a mere sampling: