Total Addiction: The Life of an Eclipse Chaser

187 Pages·2012·1.8 MB·English

by  Kate Russo (auth.)

Total Addiction
Kate Russo
Total Addiction
The Life of an Eclipse Chaser
123
KateRusso
Department of ClinicalPsychology
Queen’s UniversityBelfast
Belfast
UK
ISBN 978-3-642-30480-4 ISBN 978-3-642-30481-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-30481-1
SpringerHeidelbergNewYorkDordrechtLondon
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2012940231
(cid:2)Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2012
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Synopsis
This book is about people who are passionate about the total eclipse of the Sun,
oneofthemostamazingspectaclesinnature.Experiencingatotaleclipseisalife-
changing event for many people, and is described by some as an unforgettable
eventtoexperienceatleastonceinyourlife.However,therearemanypeoplewho
believe that once in a lifetime is not enough. These people—eclipse chasers—
travelevery18monthsorsotoveryspecificlocationsaroundtheworldinorderto
experience a total solar eclipse. What motivates eclipse chasers to do this?
Itisdifficulttodescribetheeclipseexperiencetothosewhohavenotwitnessed
the event. Images do not convey the magical experience of totality, the most
thrilling part of the total eclipse. Currently, we struggle to understand the
experienceoftotality,andthemotivationsoftheeclipsechaser.Asaresult,eclipse
chasersareconsideredtobeamysteriousbutoddgroupofindividualsduetotheir
unusual passion.
This book gives an insight into the world of the eclipse chaser by first
describing the experience of totality, and then exploring their lives and
motivations. Those who chase eclipses will find this book useful in helping them
tounderstandtheirexperiences.Thosenotluckyenoughtohaveseenatotalsolar
eclipse will obtain a glimpse into the intriguing world of the eclipse chaser, and
perhaps by the end of it, will want to experience totality for themselves.
v
Preface
It is Christmas Eve, 2009. There is steam rising from the hot bubbling outdoor
Jacuzzi, swirling as it meets the cold air. Snow is falling heavily, disappearing
immediately where it falls ontothe bubbling water, and plastering the tops of our
heads and our shoulders. I am in the hot tub opposite Geordie, my partner of 16
years.Thereisalayerofwhiteallaroundwheresnowhasfallenforseveraldays,
blanketing the ground and trees, and muffling the sounds of nature. The temper-
ature is about 3 (cid:3)C, although we are blissfully steaming in the hot tub. All that is
missing is a glass of bubbly.
Welookateachotherandsmile,raiseimaginaryglassesandsilentlyclinkthem
together, imagining how the falling snow would melt in our drinks. We make a
point of marking this moment—that we are in this magical setting where cold
meets hot, with snow falling on us. We reflect on our lives—the choices we have
made, the experiences we have had that year, and many years previously. We
consider the following year—future adventures, unknown freedom. We rejoice at
our relationship—16 years of joy, fun, friendship and sharing. Lastly, and with
seriousness, we praise our good health which allows us to fully experience our
lives with few restrictions. We smile as the snow continues to fall around us,
feeling so happy together and incredibly lucky.
Itisfunnyhowmomentsliketheseseemtotakeonahugesignificance,andare
rememberedinsuchdetailwhentheylaterbecomerecognisedasturningpointsin
ourlives. Thattime certainlyturnedouttobeaturning point for us.Just2 weeks
laterIamsittingonavinylchairinahospital,wearingaplasticapron,glovesand
a mask on my face. I am watching over Geordie as he lies asleep in his bed in a
single isolation room. The speed at which his body was succumbing to a life-
threateninginfectionisfrightening.Iwatchwithreliefashebreathesslowlyinand
out, sweating profusely and seemingly temporarily free from the pain that has
consumed him for the previous 2 weeks. My thoughts return to that hot tub
moment where we commented on our good health. Did we jinx our health by
saying those things? How could our life circumstances have changed so rapidly?
Earlierthatdaywehadspokentothehospitalconsultant,whohadsensitivelytried
to prepare us for the reality of Geordie not being able to fight off the severe
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viii Preface
pneumonia he had developed, with fluid building up around his heart and lungs
andmanyothercomplications.Itwassosuddenandunexpected,andsofaroutside
mylifeexperiencethatitwasasthoughIwasanobserverinare-enactmentofmy
own life. But it was real. I was there. This was happening. The only thing that
would help Geordie now was time for his body to win the fight against the
infection.
After a month in hospital Geordie was finally able to return home, frail and in
pain, but at least out of danger. There were further set-backs and several more
emergency hospital admissions, but he continued gradually to make progress.
After 6 months he was able to make a slow return to work. After 1 year he was
much improved, working full time, although still easily fatigued. Now, after 2
years, life has almost returned to how it was before. We again savour those
moments where we feel happy together and incredibly lucky. But we are older,
wiser and more aware of the fragility of life. I knew this already, working as a
psychologistinahospitalwithchildrenwithlife-limitingconditions.Butitisonly
when these things happen to you that you are sharply reminded of the fragility of
life. You then learn to appreciate things in a way that you have not done
previously.
DuringGeordie’srecoveryIwasrepeatedlydrawntophotographsofourmany
travel adventures, related to our years of eclipse chasing. I began to realise how
importanttheseeclipseadventureshadbeen,andhowexperiencingeachandevery
total eclipse had helped me appreciate life. I was already aware that my eclipse
chasing was a first-rate antidote for the emotionally demanding work I was
engagedin,workinginahospitalwithchildrenwithlife-limitedconditions.There
is an emotional cost to this work—you can become desensitised to emotions as a
way of protecting yourself from any distress you experience. Eclipse chasing
during this time had become a way of ensuring that I reconnected with my
emotions, with my life, with the world.
Each eclipse was a celebration of life, and a reminder that life is precious and
wonderful. And ultimately life ends. We have one chance at it, and we ought not
waste any moment as there will be a time where those moments no longer exist.
Geordie’sillnessmademereallyappreciatehowatotalsolareclipseisareminder
of our lives. A total eclipse lasts only a few minutes, but we are mesmerised,
awestruck,andawareofeverysecond.Itisalsopreciousandwonderful.Andthen
it is over. A total eclipse is a perfect metaphor for life.
Having developed a deeper understanding of what eclipses mean for me,
I wanted to understand more about the experience. Why is totality so powerful?
How does it affect people? Do other eclipse chasers think about eclipses in the
same way I do?
InmyacademicresearchIhaveexpertiseindoingphenomenologicalresearch,
which aims to understand how people make sense of their experiences. My
research programme has focused upon health and illness. I wanted to use this
phenomenological approach to understand more about the experience of totality.
I had fantasised for years about researching how people experience total eclipses
Preface ix
and now seemed like the perfect time. I was very much encouraged by those
around me – my colleagues, friends and other eclipse chasers.
Thisisthestoryofthegenesisofthisbook.Theimportantmessageofthebook
isthis—lifeisprecious.Spendyourtimewiththoseyoulove,doingwhatyoulove
to do. And make sure you experience a total eclipse, at least once in your life.
January 2012 Kate Russo
Contents
Part I Eclipse-Chasing Context and Background
1 A Personal Introduction to Eclipse Chasing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2 Understanding the Passion of the Eclipse Chaser. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3 Researching Eclipse Chasers: Surveys and Interviews . . . . . . . . . 21
Part II The Total Solar Eclipse
4 Totality: An Introduction and Narrative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5 The Science of Totality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
6 The Experience of Totality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Part III Being an Eclipse Chaser
7 Introduction to the Interviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
8 Amateur Astronomer Chasers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
9 Enterprising Chasers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
10 Introspective Chasers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11 Occasional Chasers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
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12 Summary of This Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Part IV Making Sense of Eclipse Chaser’s Experiences
13 The Pull: Why is Totality so Powerful?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
14 The Push: What Motivates Eclipse Chasers?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
15 Related Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Part V Eclipse Chasing Information
16 The Challenges of Eclipse Chasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
17 Helpful Tips for Eclipse Virgins: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
18 Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Epilogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Part I
Eclipse Chasing Context and Background
Fred Espenak, (Mr Eclipse), Scientist Emeritas, NASA/Goddard Space Flight
Centre
Glorious Totality!
Therearepreciousfeweventsinlifethatleavesuchanindelibleimpressionthat
the simple act of recollection can quicken the pulse and increase respiration as
vividmemoriesfloodone’smind.ThetotaleclipseoftheSunisjustsuchanevent.
The simple act ofstanding within the shadow of the Moon affords the rare and
unprecedented opportunity to gaze directly at the halo of million-degree plasma
surrounding our star. Twisted, tortured, and constrained by the Sun’s enormous
magneticfields,thesolarcoronaisrevealedtothenakedeyeonlyduringthebrief
seconds when the Moon completely blocks the brilliant disk of the Sun.
The corona’s gossamer crown of pearly light displays an ethereal beauty that
transcends both science and nature. It hypnotizes the viewer into an altered state
where time seems to stands still. Nevertheless the diamond ring of third contact,
signalingtheendoftotality,appearsmuchtooquickly.Hungryeyessearchinvain
for one last glimpse of the corona hidden by the rapidly expanding glare.
Totalityisover.Thememoryofthisfleetingeventwillbereplayedmanytimesin
theyearstocome.Butforsomepeopleitwillnotbeenough.Theywilltraveltothe
far corners of the globe at the appointed time and place to witness the grand
spectacle again. And again. And again. They are the eclipse chasers.