Meet the Umbraphiles Who Chase Eclipses Around the World

When Koh Joo Beng, an astronomy enthusiast from Singapore, first watched the moon slide between the earth and sun 18 years ago, he didn’t anticipate the impact it would have on his life. “It struck me that eclipses are not just scientific phenomena,” he says, recalling his initial glimpse of the August 2008 eclipse from China. “They are profoundly emotional and spiritual experiences.” Since then, Koh has traveled to see 14 solar eclipses around the world, and even co-authored a book, Chasing Totality: The Complete Handbook for the 2026 Total Solar Eclipse with his son Jared Koh. Umbraphiles chase solar eclipses in pursuit of awe and alignment. This transition from eclipse-curious to avid umbraphile (the name for a person who travels long distances to observe solar eclipses, literally translating to “shadow lover”) is quite common. As I learned after my own taste of totality in 2024, once you see one, you want to see them all. This week’s total solar eclipse on August 12, visible from east Greenland, west Iceland, and Spain, is proving to be no exception—despite its inconveniently slim path. Throngs of travelers—myself among them—are chasing the phenomenon to r