Eclipse 2017: Looking Back At The Last Total Eclipse In The U.S.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)-- February 26, 1979, a solar eclipse in the northwestern United States.

Philadelphians expected to see at least something, but the big story that day was what didn't happen, we featured it here on CBS3.

The late George Hamilton---then director of Fels Planetarium--planned eclipse activities for months.

"I was very disappointed because I want the public to share a partial eclipse. Even partials are exciting," Hamilton said in 1979.

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Almost four decades later, eyes will be focused on the sky.

Matt Kriebel is an astronomer in Philadelphia and he owns--Spectrum Scientifics--a store dedicated to the subject. He's been setting up his equipment to view the eclipse on Monday.

"It's definitely going to be noticeable in some fashion. You don't just take away 4/5 of the sunlight and have it not be noticed," said Kriebel.

The last total solar eclipse over the city of Philadelphia happened on July 29, 1478 long before there was a Philadelphia.

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"They are interesting because they're one of the first things astronomers going back many many centuries were actually able to predict," Kriebel said.

This at a time when tools were primitive and special glasses didn't exist. Let's hope Monday isn't a repeat of 1979.

The next total eclipse over Philadelphia isn't until May 1, 2079.