PLATTSBURGH — The highly-anticipated Total Eclipse, slated to happen soon, will bring a sense of “awe” an eclipse expert says.
Dr. Kate Russo, an author, psychologist, eclipse chaser and founder of Being in the Shadow, an eclipse consulting company, gave students and faculty at SUNY Plattsburgh a rundown of what to expect when the big celestial event takes place.
Russo spoke via Zoom from her home in Queensland, Australia Friday evening to a crowd gathered at George H. Hudson Hall on campus.
The experience of being in the path of totality is “ineffable,” or in other words, something that is too great to express or describe with words.
“It’s what I call ‘the gap of ineffability,’” Russo said.
“It is tough to explain it to someone who’s never seen or been in totality.”
The 2024 Total Eclipse will occur in the afternoon of Monday, April 8, and last for approximately 3 minutes and 30 seconds for those in the path. Plattsburgh is will be in the path of totality.
24 YEARS
Russo has been chasing eclipses for 24 years, starting in 1999 off the coast of France. She has now spent approximately 28 minutes in the path of totality throughout 13 different eclipses in 11 countries.
Her goal is to share individual and community stories about their experience of the eclipse, specifically those who have experienced totality.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun.
In her talk to the SUNY Plattsburgh audience, Russo shared videos of previous eclipse witnesses attempting to explain what their experience was like using questions like “What did you feel?” and “What surprised you?”
“Those questions, and their responses, are much more powerful than just stating the facts of it,” Russo said.
According to Russo, there are three aspects to the totality experience.
The first is the intellectual appreciation which includes alignments, coincidence of scale, feeling the universe in 3D and seeing the corona.
The second is called in-the-moment-human-response which includes a sense of wrongness, primal fear, awe, connectedness, euphoria and desire to repeat.
The final aspect is the transformative impact which includes time, place and person.
For some, being in the path of totality can be an “emotional rollercoaster” often leaving a viewer feeling a sense of exhaustion, Russo said, and some may find the experience addicting.
“Totality happens above you, around you and within you,” Russo said.
“That is the soundbite I like to use when talking about the experience of totality.”
Russo has led research into the effects of “awe” on the human psyche. According to her, it can be life changing and even addicting, leading to people becoming “eclipse chasers”.
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES
During last year’s annular eclipse, Russo went to Uvalde, Texas which was right in the annular path.
“I didn’t anticipate the same sense of ‘awe’ during the annular eclipse because totality is generally more powerful,” Russo said.
“I was surprised, the clouds created a thin layer allowing us to look up with our naked eyes.”
Uvalde will also be in the path of totality for this year’s eclipse.
According to Russo, these tips will ensure you have a safe and satisfying eclipse viewing experience:
• Stay in open areas, avoid dense built-up areas such as cities.
• Get to a higher elevation, try to have at least one view of the horizon.
• You must use eye protection during the partial eclipse.
• Only during totality are you encouraged to look with your naked eye.
Russo’s talk was one of several events the SUNY Plattsburgh School of Arts and Sciences will host leading up to the eclipse in April as an effort to engage the community in the eclipse.
“The idea is to get the community engaged here,” Lisabeth Kissner, director of the Northcountry Planetarium, said.
“I heard Russo talk previously, her excitement and passion for the eclipse will bring in the extra element of wow.”
The SUNY Plattsburgh Eclipse viewing party will take place Monday, April 8 at Hawkins Pond, and an auxiliary location will be located at the Field House on Rugar Street.
According to Kissner, The Galilean Society received a NASA-funded grant to be included in a 40-team effort to film the entirety of the totality across the country.