Primary organizer and tour leader for RING OF FIRE EXPEDITIONS, he has spent more than 50 years leading solar eclipse and Northern Lights expeditions around the world. As of August 2025 he has observed 86 solar eclipses inclusive of partial, annular and total eclipses and likely holds the record for the most solar eclipses seen by anyone alive or dead. Paul has traveled to 308 countries, former countries, islands and territories and was elected to the Explorers Club as a result of his accomplishments. His wife, Dr. J. Lynn Palmer, who first met him in Peru after the total eclipse of 1994, has seen 47 solar eclipses––-the 6th highest total of living eclipse observers.
Formerly worked at the NASA Johnson Space Center supporting Apollo, Skylab, Shuttle, and International Space Station programs for the Mission Operations Directorate. He holds degrees in astronomy and mathematics, physical science and business and designed RING OF FIRE EXPEDITIONS as a public outreach arm of the NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society in Houston, Texas USA.
He has conducted numerous science and personal expeditions overseas and continues to design new ones each year.
His specialty is observing occultations of stars by asteroids and space debris tracking; hobbies include running and visiting active volcanoes.