Why I Follow Eclipses

I chase eclipses because they lead me to out-of-the-way places I’d otherwise never see and bring me together with people from every corner of the world. In the fleeting darkness I’m reminded how small I am, how powerful the Sun is, and how easily knowledge gives way to awe. I’ve watched learned men humbled, women dance with joy at the returning light, and strong men weep at the beauty of the universe. Life is short, and in the shadow of the Moon I feel profoundly alive.

Don

Clouds over France

In 1999 I travelled to northern France full of anticipation for my first total eclipse, only to have a clouds slide in at the crucial moment . A frustration shared by many who were there. For countless people, that disappointment became the spark to seek out the next eclipse and make sure they would one day stand in the Moon’s shadow.

René