In this episode, we chat with Joe Rao — veteran meteorologist, Hayden Planetarium lecturer, and eclipse chaser with 14 total solar eclipses under his belt.

Episode Highlights

• 1:07 — Joe's eclipse journey began at 16, witnessing his first total solar eclipse in Gaspé, Quebec (1972)
• 1:47 — The five airborne eclipses Joe has chased, including flights arranged with the late Dr. Glenn Schneider
• 2:44 — How Joe convinced American Trans Air to delay a 1990 flight by 41 minutes to intercept a total eclipse over the Pacific
• 15:46 — Remembering "Mr. Eclipse" Fred Espenak and the legacy of eclipse calculation pioneer Jean Meeus
• 20:00 — Chasing the 2024 Great North American Eclipse from Plattsburgh, NY — and the brutal traffic home
• 31:37 — Understanding the Saros cycle and the "exeligmos" — why Joe's upcoming August 2026 eclipse completes a 54-year cycle
• 41:32 — Joe's upcoming eclipse cruises: Balearic Sea (2026), Gibraltar (2027), and Australia's Kimberley region (2028)
• 45:06 — The unforgettable 1999 "Ship of Fools" cruise off Nova Scotia that delivered a perfectly clear sunrise eclipse
• 57:01 — The story of convincing American Hawaii Cruises to run an eclipse-themed cruise — and having breakfast with Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins
• 51:24 — Joe's advice for first-time eclipse viewers: put the phone down and just watch

Key Takeaway

Don't photograph your first total eclipse — just absorb it. As Joe puts it, the corona, diamond ring, and shifting sky colors are experiences you can't get through a phone screen.

Leticia Ferrer's site: 

https://texassolareclipses.com/

Host Chris Chotas Alexander's Site
https://www.chotachrome.com/
IG: @chotachrome

Totality Talks is created by Leticia Ferrer and Chris Chotas Alexander.  

Totality Talks is produced by Chris Chotas Alexander.