Totality Talks - The Solar Eclipse Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep.18 - The Eclipse Effect - Jamie Carter and Debra Ross Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Totality Talks!

In this episode, we chat with the authors of the new book The Eclipse Effect: How to seize extraordinary moments to build strong communities.

We welcome back, from the UK Jamie Carter. He is the foremost solar eclipse journalist - regular contributor to Forbes.com, space.com and editor of whenisthenexteclipse.com

He co-authors the book with Debra Ross… from Rochester, NY, she is publisher and CEO of KidsOutAndAbout.com . She has also served as co-chair of the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force. Debra is an entrepreneur, and advocate for community engagement, independent learning, and curiosity-driven exploration.

We now have our podcast in video format and are working to get our show distributed across YouTube, Spotify, and Rumble.

https://share.descript.com/view/miN9djSdHVw

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.

Ep#17 - Janine Frances - Eclipse Travel & Discussion Group Oct 04, 2025

Show notes

In this episode we chat with FB Eclipse Travel and Discussion group founder and eclipse chasing traveler, Janine Frances from Pennsylvania.

We chat about eclipses past and the annular eclipse over Easter Island in October of 2024... and of course, we chat about the coming total solar eclipses.

My audio file was corrupted for the last 3rd of the episode... I do believe the context works out after some creative editing. Regards, Chris

Total Eclipses of the Sun by Mabel Loomis Todd (1894):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1165151987/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Leticia Ferrer's site:

Ep#16 - Kenneth & Megan Keifer - Fan Show! Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Totality Talks… it has been exactly one year since the Great American Eclipse of April 8, 2024. We are officially off of our hiatus! Only 491 days to go until the next total solar eclipse. In this episode we are doing our first fan interview. Ken and Megan Keifer from Mooresville, Indiana reached out to us last summer after Ken saw his 2nd and Megan saw her 1st! Recently, Ken’s waterfall photography was featured on US postage stamps. They share their stories with us and we share ours with them.

Find Ken's work here:

https://kennethkeifer.smugmug.com/

Leticia Ferrer's site:

Ep#15 - Mike Frost - Eclipse & Revelation Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

Welcome back from our post eclipse hiatus! In this episode we chat with British Astronomical Association's Mike Frost.... he shares book, Eclipse and Revelation: Total Solar Eclipses In Science, History, Literature, and the Arts. We chat about eclipses past and future total solar eclipses. He also shares stories that include such shenanigans as breaking into a cemetery with Jay Passachoff to see the grave of Sir Edmond Halley.
Meet Mike Frost:
https://britastro.org/section_information_/historical-section-overview/meet-the-section-director
Get the book!:
https://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Revelation-Eclipses-Science-Literature/dp/0192857991
Astro Trails UK:
https://www.astro-trails.com/

Leticia Ferrer's site:

Ep#14 - Afterglow 2024! Pt.2 - Dr. Heather Appleby May 14, 2024

Show notes

Welcome back to Totality Talks! In this episode, we continue to bask in the afterglow of the 2024 total eclipse. We have an interesting virgin no more this time around as we chat with an astrophysicist that saw her first total solar eclipse on April 8. We have physics and astronomy professor from Dallas College Richland Campus - Dr. Heather Appleby.
Dallas College Richland Campus:
https://www.dallascollege.edu/about/rlc/pages/default.aspx

Heather's LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-appleby-940a082a

Leticia Ferrer's site:

Ep#13 - Afterglow 2024! Pt.1 - Janet Brenner, Laura Ivey, Daniel Brookshier Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

YES! So, did you see it? Sounds like lucky holes were found …almost everywhere! Apologies for the delay.... eclipse elation and subsequent eclipse blues are real. We’ve been truckin along to April 8 and hope YOU got to see the total eclipse of the Sun! In this episode, we chat with 2 eclipse virgins no more: producers of the first total solar eclipse musical (based on David Baron’s book American Eclipse), Janet Brenner and Laura Ivey. They observed their first total solar eclipse and share their experiences with us. Leticia and I also share a little bit about our eclipse day 2024.
Also in this episode, we share some love from inside the shadow of the Moon. We'll spend part of our session with veteran eclipse chaser, Letica’s husband, Daniel Brookshier. Daniel tells us a bit about their encounter inside the umbra of the April 08, 2024 eclipse, marking HIS eighth rendezvous with totality. We nerd out about image and video capturing as we exchange notes on totality 2024.

Astronomy Without Borders:
https://astronomerswithoutborders.org/programs/solar-glasses-distribution

Instagram - American Eclipse Musical:
https://www.instagram.com/americaneclipsemusical/

Link to Daniel's Eclipse video:
https://www.facebook.com/TexasEclipses/posts/pfbid02CDab8hfwhtpN7ffJQ4fvz1JDseBqM6UcwkKeX6gpAGYE1tgHF6NezRhjKns94UVul

Solar Wind Sherpas:
https://project.ifa.hawaii.edu/solarwindsherpas/

Capture Eclipse:
https://almadenobservatory.net/CaptureEclipse/

Leticia Ferrer's site:

Ep#12 - The Shady Ladies - Observation Tips Apr 06, 2024

Show notes

Eclipse chasers from around the world are arriving in the path of totality! In this BONUS episode, we chat about last minute eclipse prep and have a couple of surprise eclipse chaser guests joining us in the fun. we chat with 2 of The Shady Ladies, Sally Kilburn and Dr. Khati Hendry, observers of 14 total solar eclipses. They just arrived from British Columbia to observe the event. They join us from Leticia's House in Dallas.
Eclipse Day 2024 Checklist:
https://www.solareclipsetimer.com/docs/eclipsedaychecklist.pdf

Leticia Ferrer's site:

Ep#11 - Dr. Tyler Nordgren - Stars Above, Earth Below Apr 04, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we switch gears and talk about eclipse poster art! Commissioned by the national parks service to create "See America" posters and promote the dark skies of our national parks, we have the eclipse event poster art master, Tyler Nordgren. He is a former astronomy professor, dark sky ambassador, and artist that gave up his teaching career for art! Hope you enjoy or chat with Tyler.

Link to the Space Art Travel Bureau:
https://www.tylernordgren.com/
International Dark Sky Association:
https://darksky.org/
Betchart Expeditions:
https://betchartexpeditions.com/
Oceanwide Expeditions:
https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/

Leticia Ferrer's site:

Ep#10 - Jay Anderson - Climatology Turns To Weather Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

This episode we chat with the premier eclipse climate and weather expert, Jay Anderson. He is the ultimate ‘clear skies guy’ as creator of eclipseophile.com, which is THE standard for eclipse trip planning. He has observed 34 solar eclipses including 24 total solar eclipses. Jay joins us remotely from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
At 10 days out from totality in 2024, we hear about his journey and listen to wise guidance as we transition from climate projections to weather models for the upcoming event.
“Dream, travel, explore… you only go around once.” -Jay Anderson
Link to Eclipsophile climatology and weather links:
https://eclipsophile.com/
Quick link to eclipse-day planning:
https://eclipsophile.com/eclipse-day-weather/
Jay's recent Sky & Telescope article:
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/what-will-the-weather-be-on-the-day-of-the-total-solar-eclipse
Jay's "Q&A With An Expert" with Space.com:
https://www.space.com/total-solar-eclipse-weather-prospects-how-experts-make-predictions-q-and-a
The Eclipse Bulletin and Road Atlas (co-authored with Fred Espenak!):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941983448
https://www.mreclipse.com/pubs/Atlas2024.html
Weather model chart collection at weather.us (ECMWF, ICON, GFS, NAM, HRRR):
https://weather.us/model-charts
National Weather Service CPC long range forecasts:
https://www.weather.gov/hun/climateforecast
Windy app (people love it):
https://windy.app/blog/nam-vs-hrrr-weather-models.html
3d printable counterbalance bracket to hold bottles or cans (modable). Courtesy Preston Gregg:
https://www.tinkercad.com/things/3zDFQ4HI246-beer-can-counterweight-v03

Leticia Ferrer's site:

Ep#9 - Dr. Rick Fienberg - From Viking To Ikigai Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

In this episode we chat with Dr. Richard Tresch Fienberg, astronomer and science communicator. He talks about his journey from JPL, to Sky and Telescope, and on to the American Astronomical Society. Of course, we chat about the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024. He is now retired and serves as the head of the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force. Trained as a professional astronomer, he remains an amateur astronomer at heart. Rick joins us from his private observatory in central New Hampshire.
We apologize for the snaps and pops in the audio. It was cleaned up significantly and a newer version has been uploaded.
Dr. Richard Tresch Fineberg Bio:

https://aas.org/press/richard-tresch-fienberg

American Astronomical Society Solar Eclipse Task Force:

https://eclipse.aas.org/about-us

Rick’s Sky & Telescope Article On How Dark Does It Get:

https://skyandtelescope.org/2024-total-solar-eclipse/how-dark-does-it-get-during-a-total-solar-eclipse/

How to build a sun funnel (Rick Fienberg, Chuck Bueter, Louis A. Mayo):

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/static/img/make-sun-funnel/Build_a_Sun_Funnel_v4.pdf

Ballreich’s Eclipse Chips:

https://www.ballreich.com/product/eclipsechipse/

Michael Zeiler Eclipse Site:

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com

Leticia Ferrer's site: