EXPLANATION: Many facts about our astronomical universe that are taken for granted today have been known -- or accurately recorded -- only during the last millennium. Asam's painting currently hangs in Weltenburg Abbey in BAVARIA, Germany. Bavaria, GERMANY is the birthplace of POPE BENEDICT XVI on Saturday, April 16, 1927. The person depicted viewing these eclipse phenomena is St. BENEDICT! St BENEDICT of NURSIA was the founder of the Benedictine Order monasteries and was the author of "The Rule of Saint Benedict," which is still the most influential writing regarding the monastic life of Western Christianity.
Is this painting the earliest realistic depiction of a total eclipse of the Sun? Some historians believe it IS. The BELOW painting was completed in 1735 by Cosmas Damian Asam, a painter and architect famous in early 18th century GERMANY. Clearly drawn is not only a total solar eclipse, but the solar corona and the diamond ring effect visible when sunlight flows only between mountains on the Moon.
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Painting Credit: Cosmas Damian Asam; Digital Image © Copyright: Jay Pasachoff
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