Yes, the photo above is actually of a solar eclipse, an annular solar eclipse to be exact, and not a computer-rendered scene. To capture this stunning image, photography “nethskie” used a high magnification long focus lens (70-200 mm for a 35 mm camera). Continue reading more pictures, tips on how to view this weekend’s solar eclipse, and additional information
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Total solar eclipses are rare events. Although they occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, it is estimated that they recur at any given place only once every 360 to 410 years, on average.[26] The total eclipse only lasts for a few minutes at that location, as the Moon’s umbra moves eastward at over 1700 km/h. Totality can never last more than 7 min 31 s, and is usually shorter than 5 minutes: during each millennium there are typically fewer than 10 total solar eclipses exceeding 7 minutes.
