Michael ZeilerMichael is a long-time eclipse chaser and GIS (geographic information systems) professional with Esri, the leading GIS software developer.Michael witnessed his first totalsolar eclipse from Baja Californiain 1991. This experience began his long interest in traveling the world to witness total solar eclipses.In 2009, Michael booked an eclipse expedition to view totality from the west Pacific Ocean at the pointof greatest eclipse. At the time, no existing eclipse maps provided the information Michael wanted toapply positions from his GPS receiver to verify that the ship achieved maximum duration of totality. So Michael applied his professional skills to make his own eclipse map.This 2009 eclipse map received wide acclaim from the eclipse chasers and he began making more eclipse maps. Michael launched a website featuring his eclipse maps and historic eclipse maps at eclipse-maps.

com in 2011. Next, Michael launched greatamericaneclipse.com in 2014 to focus on the American solar eclipses of 2017, 2023, and 2024.In recognition of his outreach work for the 2017 total solar eclipse, Michael was honored by the International Astronomical Union with his name on asteroid 53253 Zeiler (1999 EV5). Michael enjoys the dark skies near Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife Polly White.