Exploring the awe and wonder of a
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE
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Important Update: A Pause in Eclipse Activities
Due to a significant and ongoing health condition, Dr. Kate Russo is currently unavailable for all eclipse-related activities. While "Being in the Shadow" reflects Kate's lifelong passion, she has paused all active involvement as of July 2025 as a result of this condition. This website will remain accessible, continuing to showcase her past work, activities, and valuable resources for anyone preparing for future eclipses.
Being /ˈbiːɪŋ/
1. mass noun Existence.
1.1 Being alive; living.
2. in singular The nature or essence of a person.
Shadow /ˈʃadəʊ/
1. mass noun Partial or complete darkness, a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
2. Something insubstantial or fleeting.
BEING IN THE SHADOW is an Australian-based, global eclipse consulting company based upon the passion, experience, and mission of Dr. Kate Russo. As an eclipse-chasing psychologist who has experienced 14 total solar eclipses spanning 25 years, she uses her experience and leadership to highlight the benefits and long-term legacy an eclipse can bring.
BEING IN THE SHADOW develops and shares evidence-based guidance focusing on two key areas:
THE EXPERIENCE OF TOTALITY
Psychologist Kate has explored the powerful, transformative effects of a total solar eclipse, from personal narratives to capturing brainwaves. She shares her research and personal insights through engaging presentations, books, articles, podcasts, documentaries, and in the media.
COMMUNITY ECLIPSE PLANNING
Kate distils insights from each total solar eclipse into evidence-based guidance, shared freely in her White Paper series. She has provided expert guidance to local, state, and national agencies, promoting a sustainable and community-focused approach to eclipse planning and tourism development.
'Experience totality—above you, around you, within you.'
– Dr. Kate Russo, Founder, Being in the Shadow
- A total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth once every 18 months on average.
- In any one location, a total solar eclipse is rare, occurring on average once every 375 years.
- The Moon’s dark inner shadow intersects Earth along a thin track known as the path of totality.
- If you are located within the path of totality, you will experience nature’s most amazing spectacle: a total eclipse of the Sun.
- During totality, the Moon blocks the Sun, casting a dark shadow. This is the only time the Sun’s ethereal solar corona (outer atmosphere) is visible to the naked eye.
- Totality is awe-inspiring, beautiful, eerie, and emotional. The experience is hard to describe.
- Many people are so moved by the experience they become “eclipse chasers.”
- You MUST be in the path of totality to experience a total solar eclipse.
- Outside of this path, even if the Sun is 99% covered, the sky is still 10,000 times too bright. You will not experience the full wonder and awe of totality.
- Except during totality, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun. Solar filters compliant with the ISO 12312-2 standard are necessary for safe viewing of the partial phases of the eclipse.
- Only in the path of totality is it safe to view totality without solar filters, as all direct light from the Sun is blocked by the Moon.
- You do not have to be a scientist, an astronomer, or a bearded man with a telescope to enjoy the total eclipse experience.
COUNTDOWN TO THE NEXT
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE
AUGUST 12, 2026
EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT TOTALITY 2028
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND - GET READY!
See the most Frequently Asked Questions, and follow links for more.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO EXPERIENCE A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE?
Totality happens above you, around you, and within you. Totality is beautiful, awe-inspiring, and life-changing. Intense emotions are felt—primal fear, awe, insignificance, connection, euphoria. Totality is so much more than a soundbite – click here to read more.
DO I NEED TO GET INTO THE PATH OF TOTALITY?
YES. The only way to experience totality is to be within the path of totality. Outside of this, you experience a partial eclipse. A partial is interesting but has none of the feel nor any of the awe-inspiring phenomena of totality.
HOW DO YOU BECOME AN ECLIPSE CHASER?
Not everyone becomes an eclipse chaser. But for some people (like me) immediately after your first totality experience, you will just KNOW. You will feel your whole world has shifted, and you will have an irresistible urge to get to the next one. And so the chase begins!
WHAT WILL I SEE IF I CANNOT GET INTO THE PATH OF TOTALITY?
Through solar filters, you will see the Sun being partially blacked out by the Moon. Any projected shadows will be mini-crescents. If in your location the Sun gets more than 70% covered, you may start to notice interesting light effects and feel the temperature drop.
HOW DOES A COMMUNITY WITHIN THE PATH OF TOTALITY PREPARE?
There are many unknowns when preparing a community in the path of totality, and it is difficult to know how to get started. Check out the FAQ on eclipse planning, and download past White Papers on Community Eclipse Planning.
WHAT’S WITH THE BLACK, WHITE AND RED THEME?
Thanks for noticing! Black and white photography aims to represent life outside the path of totality. During totality, prominences appear as red and pink around the Sun, so red (or pink) is used for contrast.
I SAW A TOTAL ECLIPSE ONCE. IT WAS BORING.
Many people have seen a partial solar eclipse, but fewer have experienced totality. You can quickly check by researching the date and looking at the path of totality—if you were not in the path, you didn’t see totality.
WHERE CAN I SEE THE NEXT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE?
The next total eclipse is on August 12, 2026, with the path of totality making landfall over Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, and Spain. After that comes August 2, 2027, over Gibraltar, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Somalia.
IS A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE REALLY ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME?
If you were to wait for the Moon’s shadow to occur over your region, you would be waiting an average of 375 years – more than a lifetime. These days, we can travel into the path of totality every 18 months on average.
A total solar eclipse is an awe-inspiring nature event that can be appreciated by everyone.
Whatever you do, make sure you experience a total solar eclipse at least once in your life. You may even join the tribe of people from around the world who love nothing more than to stand in the shadow of the Moon – the community of eclipse chasers. We look forward to seeing you in the shadow.
THE BLOG
Reflections on my 14th Total Solar Eclipse Chase
Many years ago, I decided that the ideal place to experience the 2024 total solar eclipse was Mexico, with climate records indicating the best chances of clear skies for that time of year. However, as a member of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force, I was committed to viewing within the […]
It takes a village to create a Solar Eclipse Village
You will no doubt be aware that TWO solar eclipses are coming soon to the US – the first is an Annular Solar Eclipse (ASE) on October 14, 2023, followed six months later with a Total Solar Eclipse (TSE) on April 8, 2023. Over 3,000 communities across the US are furiously planning for the […]
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