Eclipse Chaser: 'You will remember this for the rest of your life'
Eclipse Chaser: 'It never gets old'
FOX 4's Dan Henry talked to a fellow meteorologist who has experienced 13 total eclipses over the years, including one in Antarctica. Joe Rao said he was 16 when he saw his first total eclipse and became hooked. "You will remember this for the rest of your life. It is an amazing, amazing site."
DALLAS - Meteorologist Joe Rao has experienced 13 total solar eclipses over this lifetime.
He’s intercepted eclipses on the ground from New York to Antarctica. He’s also been aboard a flight from Alaska to Hawaii to see one.
MORE: Solar Eclipse 2024
On Monday, he’ll witness number 14 – clouds or not.
"I will tell you that unless it’s solidly overcast like what we had in Antarctica, if you have a light cloud cover, if you have like a cirriform cloud cover, or even a mid-deck cloud cover, you’re still going to see something special. In fact, the clouds will act as a screen. You’ll actually be able to see the front and the back edge of the shadow of the moon moving over and past you during the total phase of the eclipse," he said.
Featured
LIVE: Solar eclipse 2024 updates, peak times, forecast and video
The 2024 Great North American eclipse is finally near. Here are live updates from the big event.
In 2016, Rao was determined to see an eclipse that was passing over Indonesia. And while his eclipse-chasing buddies made plans to travel there, he booked an Alaska Airlines flight for a unique view of totality.
"I looked at the eclipse track and I noted that the end of the track was passing between Alaska and Hawaii. And so, I went online. I found a flight – Flight 870 Alaska Airlines," he said. "I contacted the hierarchy there, and said ‘You know, if you delay that flight by about 25 minutes, all the way down from Anchorage to Hawaii, there’s a chance we could intercept the shadow of the moon and you could give your passengers and crew a chance to see a total solar eclipse."
Alaska Airlines liked the idea and made the change. It turned out to be an amazing spectacle for everyone on board.
But Rao’s favorite or most memorable eclipse was his very first one.
"The very first time I ever experienced totality as a 16-year-old. My grandfather who had seen the 1925 eclipse in New York when he was 16 promised me that he would take me to see a total solar eclipse," Rao said. "He took my grandmother, my mom, my sister on a leisurely 900-mile drive up to the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec. We experienced a total solar eclipse. That was my first. That was in 1972 and right after that, I became hooked," he said.
Rao won’t be in Texas for Monday’s eclipse because of the cloudy forecast. But he’s hoping there will be a break in the clouds for everyone else in the state.
"Good luck to all. I’ve got my fingers crossed for you down in Texas," he said. "I still hope that all of you get to see it because this is an event as I said you will remember and take to your grave. You will remember this for the rest of your life. It is an amazing, amazing site."