Speaker: Rob Hawley

On April 8 the Great North American Eclipse will occur. This will be an eclipse you will want to experience and photograph.  It will be the last total solar eclipse visible in the Contiguous United States until August 23, 2044.   In this presentation, you will learn from an accomplished eclipse chaser how to best experience a solar eclipse whether as an astrophotographer or just for the joy of viewing it!

Rob Hawley is a serious amateur astronomer, experienced solar eclipse chaser, budding astrophotographer, and Treasurer/volunteer with the Fremont Peak Observatory Association (FPOA).  Since 1999 he has traveled the world chasing the shadow of the moon, bagging 18 solar eclipses in the process. He has experienced total, annular, and hybrid eclipses on 6 continents and several oceans.  The wealth of eclipse experience he has gained on these trips will be shared with us in his presentation, including how best to view and photograph eclipses, especially the upcoming one on April 8, dubbed the ‘Great North American Eclipse’.   He is the author of the CaptureEclipse app used to automate photography during totality.   He is also an experienced world traveler, from Svalbard to the South Pole and circumnavigating the world with National Geographic.  In his spare time, he has built a backyard observatory at his home in San Jose, the Almaden Observatory. We are fortunate that he will be taking a break from his travels to join us at the CSM Planetarium on March 1!