Ep#24 - Jared Koh - Chasing Totality

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.