Between 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Israelis were able to view a partial solar eclipse as the moon covered about 85 % of the sun for a couple of minutes around 1:00 p.m. In the photo is the eclipse as seen from the israel today offices in Jerusalem today. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon slowly aligns itself between the earth and the sun. The temperature drops and the sun becomes a black sphere with a thin halo of light. Tel Aviv University’s geophysicists and other astronomers flew to Turkey to have a full viewing of the eclipse. Best places to view the total eclipse were from parts of Africa and Turkey. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will pass over Turkey when the eclipse is in progress. Special viewings were held at various universities and institutes throughout Israel. A solar eclipse occurs nearly every 18 months, but not all are total eclipses. The next solar eclipse will occur in Canada, Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia and China in 2008. It won’t happen in New York until 2024.