Total solar eclipses are really cool, but are also rare. So, it isn’t surprising that there are people who board commercial flights just to catch them. They’re called “eclipse chasers,” and they’re the reason why we can watch this incredible video of a solar eclipse, and hear an astronomer freak out in the best way over it.
According to Jalopnik, Joe Rao, an astronomer with the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium, captured this video from seat 32F of an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to Honolulu. As the moon’s shadow approaches, Rao’s excitement mounts, with him repeatedly exclaiming, “Oh my God! Here we go!”
Then, as the eclipse approaches totality (when the moon completely covers the sun), Rao sort of loses it: “I got corona! There it is!” And then, with his voice cracking with excitement: “Totality! Totality! Oh my God! Look at that!” He then describes what’s going on with “streamers” and “prominences” and it’s enough to go over the head of someone who doesn’t know astronomy, while also holding their attention.
According to Alaska Airlines, Rao was so excited about this eclipse that he even called them when he realized that this flight would miss the total eclipse by 25 minutes. The airline adjusted its schedule and path for the eclipse chasers.
And don’t worry, eyeballs probably weren’t harmed in the making of this video. Another eclipse chaser brought special glasses so that everybody could watch safely.
(via Jalopnik and Alaska Airlines)