Lebanon only witnessed a partial eclipse. The moon started to block the sun at 11:45am. Authorities required schools to close as a precautionary measure to protect the children from eye damage. Wednesday's eclipse marks the fourth this century, the last one took place on November 23, 2003, but was only visible from Antarctica.

Other countries who witnessed the event included Brazil, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Libya, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Many Lebanese, young and old, were outdoors and gazing up at the sky... with proper eye protection of course.

Ya Libnan volunteer Nadim Lahoud took the following photo during the partial eclipse:

The following pictures were taken around Lebanon, courtesy of Associated Press and Reuters:

An observer in downtown Beirut, with the Virgin Megastore in the background

Proof that floppy disks aren't completely useless

An eye filter and tobacco water filter being used simultaneously!

A young shepherd makes sure his goat has proper eye protection too in the village of Bqosta, near the southern port city of Sidon

Looking through an X-ray photograph on the Corniche

Students observe the sun in Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut

European tourists getting in on the action too

Sources: Ya Libnan, Yahoo, AP, Reuters