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Being 105 years old means you’ve seen a lot of things in your lifetime. However, Laverne Biser hasn’t just focused on earthly goings on. He’s always been gazing at the skies. Laverne is what they call an eclipse chaser, and this last eclipse on April 8th was his 13th.
A mechanical engineer by training, Laverne’s love of the cosmos extends to building his own telescopes and celestial photography. His career as an airplane designer kept him in the sky, but not as close as he’d have liked to his true obsession, the cosmos. His love of astronomy began in high school. Eclipses became his passion. At nearly 106, Laverne points out that since they only come every one or two years, he may not see many, or any, more.
But that possibility doesn’t keep Laverne from recalling the thrill of each of his sightings to the numerous news outlets that he has recently spoken to. He’s convinced that if anyone actually experiences this rarest of celestial events, they’ll become chasers themselves.
Overwhelmed by the beauty of the eclipses, Laverne and his wife (deceased) traveled the world to view the eclipses, and brought their son and daughter as their family grew. Luckily, this last one was visible close to his home in Plano, Texas. Laverne and his daughter drove there to view it together.
Still living independently on the family farm, Laverne continues to keep busy with his hobbies, healthy lifestyle, and perhaps slightly obsessive love of the stars. It appears as though aiming high and always looking up are good for longevity.
Interesting in Lavern’s thoughts on the next eclipse visible on April 12, 2026, from Greenland, Iceland, and Spain? Keep reading.
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