It was just a few months ago that almost everyone in the United States had eclipse fever. Leading up to August 21, 2017, people traveled from around the world to small towns in states like South Carolina just to be in the eclipse path. I was in Philadelphia during the eclipse, which experienced a peak of 75% sun coverage. To be honest, with a fourth of the sun still visible, I didn't notice much of a change.
Besides being a neat astronomical event, people were excited for the eclipse because it was the first total one to cross the United States in 99 years. That's right, the last time the United States experienced a total eclipse was on June 8, 1918. Seems like the perfect opportunity to #explore1918.
According to Popular Science Monthly, "scores of astronomers from Europe" visited American observatories to witness the event. Apparently the eclipse provided glimpses at parts of our atmosphere and the sun's corona that were only visible during a total eclipse.
Based on this Denver Post piece, witnesses donned special glasses to observe the event much like 2017.
Based on this map of the eclipse path published in the New York Tribune, in Philadelphia, the 1918 eclipse probably looked a lot like the 2017 eclipse.
An article from the Philadelphia Inquirer published on the day of the eclipse confirms my guess. It reads, "Little difference will be apparent in the amount of sunlight, since the remaining fourth of the disc will shed enough so that the loss will be scarcely noticed unless forewarned." Despite this lack of change, it still seems as though many Philadelphians were excited for the event.
Sources:
Shelly, Kevin C., "In Philadelphia region, solar eclipse becomes teachable moment as millions look skyward," PhillyVoice, Aug. 21, 2017, retrieved at http://www.phillyvoice.com/the-solar-eclipse-is-now-officially-visible-in-the-philadelphia-region/.
"History," Great American Eclipse, retrieved at https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/20th-century/.
"Stars on Job Early as Sun Goes Down," Philadelphia Inquirer, June 9, 1918.
"Today's Eclipse of the Sun," Philadelphia Inquirer, June 8, 1918.
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