The eclipse started at 07:26 and lasted until 09:30

• Solar eclipse in Netanya sky // Photo: AFP

Rare event in the sky: In Israel, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and most of Asia millions raised their eyes to watch the solar eclipse today. The eclipse peaked at 08:20 (Israel Time). With us, the moon covered between 35% and 40% of the sun's surface. Missed? You will have to wait for August 2027.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, hiding some of the sun. From the perspective of the Earth's inhabitants, a unique appearance of the eclipse is created where the sun is "eaten" by the moon. This phenomenon occurs two or three times a year in various regions of the earth, but only occasionally does it come to view it above the sky of our country.

In the area where the eclipse can be seen in full, in northern India and Pakistan, millions of people watched the spectacle with great excitement as a ring was seen enveloping the dark moon for many minutes.

The last significant eclipse seen from Israel occurred in August 1999 - so the moon hid more than 90% from the sun. The next solar eclipse to be seen in the skies of Israel will be in 2027, while the full solar eclipse can no longer be expected, as it will occur in 2180.