Show Notes — Ep24: Chasing Totality with Jared Koh

Jared Koh joins Totality Talks to discuss Chasing Totality: The Complete Handbook for the 2026 Total Solar Eclipse, co-written with his father Joe Koh, and their family's eclipse-chasing journey since 2008.

Topics covered:

• 0:33 — Introduction and Jared's eclipse count (4 total, 1 annular)
• 0:54 — First eclipse in 2012 aboard a cruise ship in the Pacific
• 3:56 — The Saros cycle and why "science deepens wonder"
• 4:22 — Common eclipse-chasing mistakes from the book's "Ghost in the Machine" chapter (solar filters, bumped focus, dead batteries, autofocus)
• 7:49 — Camera fails across four eclipses (2012 phone footage, 2017 360 camera, 2024 drone freeze)
• 17:45 — Family background: parents' astronomy/travel passions and the "Beyond Totality" mini-site
• 17:50 — The 2023 "triple diamond ring" eclipse proposal story
• 22:41 — Drone photography, GPS interference, and country-specific drone regulations
• 28:07 — Gear planning with Dad's PADCO framework (Path, Accessibility, Duration, Cloud cover, Outreach)
• 36:24 — Community and outreach at eclipse gatherings
• 41:34 — Jared's favorite part of the book: a photo with his parents at his first eclipse
• 43:38 — The "eclipse pitch deck" and convincing friends/family to join the trip
• 45:40 — Describing totality as a sudden sunset/sunrise
• 52:50 — How technology changes (and might diminish) the eclipse-chasing experience
• 54:47 — Gear rigs and camera automation setups (SetnC solar clip timer)

Mentioned resources:

• Book: Chasing Totality: The Complete Handbook for the 2020 Total Solar Eclipse by Jared and Joe Koh
• Mini-site: chasingtotality.org/beyond ("Beyond Totality")
• Book: Total Addiction and Being in the Shadow by Kate Russo
• 2026 total solar eclipse cruise details (Southampton → Ibiza → La Coruña, Spain
• Jared's Eclipse Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccNnrhExC58b

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.