Caption: "Astronomers Studying an Eclipse" by Antoine Caron (1521--1599), oil on panel, 1571.
The painting seems to depict an annular solar eclipse (AKA annular eclipse) on a cloudy day with lots of clouds.
In an annular solar eclipse the Moon is relatively close to the Sun, and leaves a ring (an annulus) of the solar photosphere visible.
Annular eclipses are somewhat more common than total solar eclipses, but they arn't as impressive: it doesn't become night dark and it's still dangerous to look at the Sun with the naked eye.
Credit/Permission:
Antoine Caron (1521--1599),
1571
(uploaded to Wikipedia
by User:Ragesoss,
2006) /
Public domain.
Image link: Wikipedia:
File:Antoine Caron Astronomers Studying an Eclipse.jpg.
Local file: local link: eclipse_annular_antoine_caron.html.
File: Art_e file:
eclipse_annular_antoine_caron.html.
