Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

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.
Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-laas-centennial
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NASA's Curiosity rover has been exploring Mars' Gale Crater for over a decade. A new analysis of samples collected there reveals something remarkable: more than 20 different organic molecules preserved in ancient rock, including the first detection of a nitrogen-bearing heterocycle on Mars, a type of molecule that's a precursor to compounds essential for life as we know it.
While these molecules aren't evidence of life, they tell us that the chemical building blocks for life were present in ancient Martian environments. In this episode, we talk with Amy Williams, an astrobiologist and associate professor at the University of Florida, about what this discovery means for our understanding of Mars' habitability. Then, Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins us for What's Up, where we compare the results to samples collected from asteroid Bennu.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-diverse-organics-gale-crater-mars
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Author, poet, and science communicator Diane Ackerman is our guest. Her wonderful collection of poems, with one devoted to each of the worlds in our Solar System, was first published in 1976. Carl Sagan said she had produced, “...a stunning book of poetry in The Planets. The work is scientifically accurate and even a convenient introduction to modern ideas on the planets, but much more important, it is spectacularly good poetry, clear, lyrical, and soaring. . . One of the triumphs of Ackerman’s pastoral is the demonstration of how closely compatible planetary exploration and poetry, science and art really are.” “The Planets” is now available in a brand new edition, and is as sublime, entertaining, and enlightening as it was half a century ago.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-diane-ackerman
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The Planetary Society's 2026 Day of Action brought something new this year. For the very first time, the advocacy day was followed by a showcase of NASA funded science in an event called Igniting Discovery.
Host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with Jack Kiraly, Director of Government Relations at the Planetary Society, about how the event came together, and with first-time advocate Julianna Charlene Kolczynski, whose passion for space traces back to her grandfather's dreams. Megan McKeown, Director of Governmental Affairs at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, opens the event. Then we hear from the scientists themselves: Blake Schreurs of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, planetary scientist Kirby Runyon of the Planetary Science Institute, Christine McCarthy of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Brent McBride of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, biomechanics PhD student Liliana Delgado of the University of Nebraska Omaha, and science communicator Sarah Treadwell, also known as Space Case Sarah. Planetary Society member Ari Gozlan closes with a reflection on what it means to celebrate science after the Day of Action. Plus, Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins Sarah for What's Up.
Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-igniting-discovery
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Every year, members of The Planetary Society travel to Washington, D.C., to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill. This year, just days after the Artemis II crew splashed down off the coast of San Diego, the Presidential Budget Request dropped once more, proposing a 46% cut to NASA's science budget.
Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed was on the ground capturing the passion, the preparation, and the people behind one of the largest Days of Action in the Planetary Society's history. In this episode, we hear from Bill Nye, Planetary Society chief ambassador. Sarah speaks with Planetary Society CEO Jenn Vaughn, charter members and advocates David Johnson and Philip Shane, healthcare researcher and human factors scientist Gabe Segarra, astrobiologist and postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Science Earth & Planets Laboratory Michael Wong, and Colossus Computing CEO Jason Cerundolo and CTO Alex Swehla.
Plus, Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins us for What's Up, where we discuss the missions at stake if NASA's science budget is cut.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-day-of-action
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.