Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series

Saros Series 139

The periodicity and recurrence of lunar (and solar) eclipses is governed by the Saros cycle, a period of approximately 6,585.3 days (18 years 11 days 8 hours). When two eclipses are separated by a period of one Saros, they share a very similar geometry. The two eclipses occur at the same node[1] with the Moon at nearly the same distance from Earth and at the same time of year. Thus, the Saros is useful for organizing eclipses into families or series. Each series typically lasts 12 to 15 centuries and contains 70 or more lunar eclipses.

Lunar eclipses of Saros 139 all occur at the Moon’s descending node and the Moon moves northward with each eclipse. The series began with a penumbral eclipse near the southern edge of the penumbra on 1658 Dec 09. The series will end with a penumbral eclipse near the northern edge of the penumbra on 3065 Apr 13. The total duration of Saros series 139 is 1406.35 years. In summary:

                      First Eclipse =  1658 Dec 09   20:10:47 TD
                       Last Eclipse =  3065 Apr 13   05:10:23 TD

                      Duration of Saros 139  =  1406.35 Years

Saros 139 is composed of 79 lunar eclipses as follows:

Lunar Eclipses of Saros 139
Eclipse Type Symbol Number Percent
All Eclipses - 79100.0%
PenumbralN 37 46.8%
PartialP 15 19.0%
TotalT 27 34.2%

The 79 lunar eclipses in Saros 139 occur in the order of 16N 7P 27T 8P 21N which corresponds to:

                                    16  Penumbral
                                     7  Partial
                                    27  Total
                                     8  Partial
                                    21  Penumbral

The longest and shortest eclipses of Saros 139 are as follows.

            Longest  Total  Lunar Eclipse:    2199 Nov 02      Duration = 01h42m39s
           Shortest  Total  Lunar Eclipse:    2542 May 30      Duration = 00h39m26s

            Longest Partial Lunar Eclipse:    2055 Aug 07      Duration = 03h23m23s
           Shortest Partial Lunar Eclipse:    1947 Jun 03      Duration = 00h34m42s

          Longest Penumbral Lunar Eclipse:    1929 May 23      Duration = 04h33m41s
         Shortest Penumbral Lunar Eclipse:    1658 Dec 09      Duration = 00h37m12s

The largest and smallest magnitude partial eclipses of Saros 139 are:

            Largest Partial Lunar Eclipse:    2055 Aug 07      Magnitude = 0.9594
           Smallest Partial Lunar Eclipse:    1947 Jun 03      Magnitude = 0.0202

Local circumstances at greatest eclipse[2] for every lunar eclipse of Saros 139 are presented in the following catalog. For eclipses occurring between the years -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 3000 CE), the sequence number in the first column links to a eclipse geometry diagram and a map from Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000. A detailed key and additional information about the catalog can be found at: Key to Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series.



Catalog of Lunar Eclipses in Saros 139

                          TD of                                                          Phase
Seq. Rel.    Calendar   Greatest          Luna  Ecl.               Pen.    Um.    ---- Durations ---- 
Num. Num.      Date      Eclipse     ΔT    Num  Type QSE  Gamma    Mag.    Mag.    Pen.   Par.  Total
                                      s                                              m      m      m

 01  -32   1658 Dec 09  20:10:47     37  -4219   N   t-  -1.5784  0.0141 -1.0897   37.2    -      -  
 02  -31   1676 Dec 20  04:11:44     17  -3996   N   t-  -1.5710  0.0285 -1.0768   52.9    -      -  
 03  -30   1694 Dec 31  12:13:59      8  -3773   N   t-  -1.5645  0.0405 -1.0653   63.1    -      -  
 04  -29   1713 Jan 11  20:14:55      9  -3550   N   t-  -1.5569  0.0545 -1.0513   73.0    -      -  
 05  -28   1731 Jan 23  04:14:13     11  -3327   N   t-  -1.5477  0.0709 -1.0338   83.2    -      -  
 06  -27   1749 Feb 02  12:09:42     13  -3104   N   t-  -1.5351  0.0931 -1.0100   95.2    -      -  
 07  -26   1767 Feb 13  19:59:03     15  -2881   N   t-  -1.5174  0.1244 -0.9764  109.6    -      -  
 08  -25   1785 Feb 24  03:42:22     17  -2658   N   t-  -1.4947  0.1647 -0.9331  125.5    -      -  
 09  -24   1803 Mar 08  11:17:40     13  -2435   N   t-  -1.4653  0.2167 -0.8776  143.2    -      -  
 10  -23   1821 Mar 18  18:44:59     11  -2212   N   t-  -1.4293  0.2810 -0.8095  161.8    -      -  

 11  -22   1839 Mar 30  02:03:05      5  -1989   N   t-  -1.3853  0.3595 -0.7269  181.4    -      -  
 12  -21   1857 Apr 09  09:13:19      7  -1766   N   t-  -1.3347  0.4503 -0.6318  201.0    -      -  
 13  -20   1875 Apr 20  16:15:23     -3  -1543   N   t-  -1.2770  0.5540 -0.5238  220.2    -      -  
 14  -19   1893 Apr 30  23:08:58     -6  -1320   N   t-  -1.2119  0.6713 -0.4023  239.2    -      -  
 15  -18   1911 May 13  05:56:24     12  -1097   N   t-  -1.1413  0.7987 -0.2706  257.0    -      -  
 16  -17   1929 May 23  12:37:45     24   -874   N   t-  -1.0650  0.9367 -0.1287  273.7    -      -  
 17  -16   1947 Jun 03  19:15:44     28   -651   P   t-  -0.9849  1.0818  0.0202  288.9   34.7    -  
 18  -15   1965 Jun 14  01:49:26     36   -428   P   t-  -0.9005  1.2351  0.1767  302.7  100.3    -  
 19  -14   1983 Jun 25  08:23:11     53   -205   P   t-  -0.8151  1.3901  0.3348  314.7  134.6    -  
 20  -13   2001 Jul 05  14:56:23     64     18   P   t-  -0.7287  1.5475  0.4947  325.1  159.3    -  

 21  -12   2019 Jul 16  21:31:55     71    241   P   t-  -0.6430  1.7037  0.6531  333.7  177.9    -  
 22  -11   2037 Jul 27  04:09:53     83    464   P   t-  -0.5582  1.8584  0.8095  340.8  192.4    -  
 23  -10   2055 Aug 07  10:53:18    104    687   P   t-  -0.4769  2.0069  0.9594  346.3  203.4    -  
 24  -09   2073 Aug 17  17:42:41    143    910   T   t-  -0.3998  2.1479  1.1013  350.5  211.6   50.1
 25  -08   2091 Aug 29  00:38:25    183   1133   T   t-  -0.3270  2.2810  1.2351  353.4  217.5   72.9
 26  -07   2109 Sep 09  07:43:03    226   1356   T-  p-  -0.2608  2.4024  1.3568  355.2  221.6   85.6
 27  -06   2127 Sep 20  14:56:04    270   1579   T-  p-  -0.2007  2.5126  1.4672  356.2  224.2   93.5
 28  -05   2145 Sep 30  22:19:51    317   1802   T-  pp  -0.1486  2.6083  1.5628  356.5  225.7   98.2
 29  -04   2163 Oct 12  05:51:53    358   2025   T-  pp  -0.1026  2.6927  1.6471  356.3  226.3  100.9
 30  -03   2181 Oct 22  13:35:21    398   2248   T-  pp  -0.0652  2.7613  1.7157  355.7  226.3  102.2

 31  -02   2199 Nov 02  21:27:11    441   2471   T-  pp  -0.0340  2.8187  1.7731  354.9  226.0  102.7
 32  -01   2217 Nov 14  05:29:02    486   2694   T-  pp  -0.0100  2.8624  1.8171  353.9  225.5  102.6
 33   00   2235 Nov 25  13:38:16    532   2917   T+  pp   0.0086  2.8647  1.8201  352.8  224.9  102.4
 34   01   2253 Dec 05  21:55:59    581   3140   T+  pp   0.0213  2.8410  1.7974  351.6  224.2  102.0
 35   02   2271 Dec 17  06:18:50    632   3363   T+  pp   0.0303  2.8236  1.7815  350.4  223.5  101.7
 36   03   2289 Dec 27  14:46:24    685   3586   T+  pp   0.0364  2.8113  1.7713  349.1  222.9  101.4
 37   04   2308 Jan 08  23:16:24    741   3809   T+  pp   0.0413  2.8010  1.7637  347.8  222.3  101.1
 38   05   2326 Jan 19  07:48:32    798   4032   T+  pp   0.0454  2.7918  1.7577  346.4  221.7  100.9
 39   06   2344 Jan 30  16:18:41    857   4255   T+  pp   0.0518  2.7782  1.7479  345.0  221.1  100.6
 40   07   2362 Feb 10  00:47:27    918   4478   T+  pp   0.0599  2.7611  1.7352  343.5  220.5  100.3


Catalog of Lunar Eclipses in Saros 139

                          TD of                                                          Phase
Seq. Rel.    Calendar   Greatest          Luna  Ecl.               Pen.    Um.    ---- Durations ---- 
Num. Num.      Date      Eclipse     ΔT    Num  Type QSE  Gamma    Mag.    Mag.    Pen.   Par.  Total
                                      s                                              m      m      m

 41   08   2380 Feb 21  09:11:43    982   4701   T+  pp   0.0725  2.7355  1.7144  341.9  219.9   99.9
 42   09   2398 Mar 03  17:32:53   1047   4924   T+  pp   0.0885  2.7036  1.6877  340.2  219.1   99.2
 43   10   2416 Mar 14  01:45:55   1115   5147   T+  pp   0.1118  2.6579  1.6477  338.3  218.2   98.1
 44   11   2434 Mar 25  09:54:38   1184   5370   T+  pp   0.1395  2.6043  1.5998  336.3  217.0   96.4
 45   12   2452 Apr 04  17:54:43   1256   5593   T+  pp   0.1748  2.5366  1.5380  333.9  215.3   93.7
 46   13   2470 Apr 16  01:49:49   1330   5816   T+  -p   0.2150  2.4598  1.4670  331.3  213.2   89.8
 47   14   2488 Apr 26  09:36:10   1406   6039   T+  -p   0.2634  2.3681  1.3812  328.1  210.3   83.7
 48   15   2506 May 08  17:18:30   1484   6262   T   -p   0.3158  2.2691  1.2877  324.5  206.6   75.1
 49   16   2524 May 19  00:54:02   1564   6485   T   -p   0.3744  2.1589  1.1826  320.3  201.7   61.8
 50   17   2542 May 30  08:25:22   1646   6708   T   -a   0.4375  2.0408  1.0695  315.3  195.5   39.4

 51   18   2560 Jun 09  15:52:08   1730   6931   P   -a   0.5047  1.9153  0.9482  309.5  187.8    -  
 52   19   2578 Jun 20  23:17:05   1816   7154   P   -a   0.5741  1.7859  0.8228  302.9  178.4    -  
 53   20   2596 Jul 01  06:40:09   1904   7377   P   -a   0.6457  1.6529  0.6930  295.3  166.9    -  
 54   21   2614 Jul 13  14:02:30   1994   7600   P   -a   0.7183  1.5184  0.5612  286.9  153.0    -  
 55   22   2632 Jul 23  21:26:01   2087   7823   P   -a   0.7902  1.3854  0.4302  277.6  136.4    -  
 56   23   2650 Aug 04  04:51:39   2181   8046   P   -a   0.8606  1.2555  0.3017  267.6  116.2    -  
 57   24   2668 Aug 14  12:20:04   2278   8269   P   -a   0.9290  1.1295  0.1766  256.9   90.3    -  
 58   25   2686 Aug 25  19:52:22   2377   8492   P   -a   0.9946  1.0090  0.0563  245.6   51.8    -  
 59   26   2704 Sep 06  03:30:17   2477   8715   N   -a   1.0559  0.8968 -0.0562  233.9    -      -  
 60   27   2722 Sep 17  11:14:28   2580   8938   N   -a   1.1120  0.7941 -0.1596  222.2    -      -  

 61   28   2740 Sep 27  19:04:39   2685   9161   N   -a   1.1636  0.7000 -0.2549  210.3    -      -  
 62   29   2758 Oct 09  03:02:58   2792   9384   N   -a   1.2090  0.6176 -0.3388  199.0    -      -  
 63   30   2776 Oct 19  11:08:55   2901   9607   N   -a   1.2486  0.5458 -0.4124  188.3    -      -  
 64   31   2794 Oct 30  19:23:28   3012   9830   N   -a   1.2815  0.4863 -0.4738  178.7    -      -  
 65   32   2812 Nov 10  03:44:37   3125  10053   N   -a   1.3094  0.4361 -0.5260  170.0    -      -  
 66   33   2830 Nov 21  12:13:59   3240  10276   N   -a   1.3312  0.3973 -0.5668  162.8    -      -  
 67   34   2848 Dec 01  20:49:50   3357  10499   N   -a   1.3481  0.3670 -0.5989  156.9    -      -  
 68   35   2866 Dec 13  05:31:19   3477  10722   N   -a   1.3610  0.3442 -0.6234  152.3    -      -  
 69   36   2884 Dec 23  14:17:44   3598  10945   N   -a   1.3703  0.3280 -0.6410  148.9    -      -  
 70   37   2903 Jan 04  23:07:17   3722  11168   N   -a   1.3775  0.3152 -0.6546  146.2    -      -  

 71   38   2921 Jan 15  07:59:27   3847  11391   N   -a   1.3825  0.3062 -0.6643  144.3    -      -  
 72   39   2939 Jan 26  16:50:38   3975  11614   N   -a   1.3889  0.2946 -0.6760  141.7    -      -  
 73   40   2957 Feb 06  01:42:04   4105  11837   N   -a   1.3951  0.2832 -0.6872  139.1    -      -  
 74   41   2975 Feb 17  10:30:03   4236  12060   N   -a   1.4045  0.2655 -0.7043  135.0    -      -  
 75   42   2993 Feb 27  19:14:41   4370  12283   N   -a   1.4166  0.2428 -0.7260  129.4    -      -  
 76   43   3011 Mar 12  03:52:57   4506  12506   N   -a   1.4339  0.2105 -0.7571  120.9    -      -  
 77   44   3029 Mar 22  12:26:16   4644  12729   N   -a   1.4553  0.1706 -0.7956  109.3    -      -  
 78   45   3047 Apr 02  20:52:10   4784  12952   N   -a   1.4828  0.1193 -0.8454   91.9    -      -  
 79   46   3065 Apr 13  05:10:23   4926  13175   N   -a   1.5164  0.0568 -0.9063   63.9    -      -  


Footnotes

[1] The Moon's orbit is inclined about 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. The points where the lunar orbit intersects the plane of Earth's orbit are known as the nodes. The Moon moves from south to north of Earth's orbit at the ascending node, and from north to south at the descending node.

[2]Greatest eclipse is defined as the instant when Moon passes closest to the axis of Earth's shadow.


Calendar

The Gregorian calendar is used for all dates from 1582 Oct 15 onwards. Before that date, the Julian calendar is used. For more information on this topic, see Calendar Dates. The Julian calendar does not include the year 0. Thus the year 1 BCE is followed by the year 1 CE (See: BCE/CE Dating Conventions ). This is awkward for arithmetic calculations. Years in this catalog are numbered astronomically and include the year 0. Historians should note there is a difference of one year between astronomical dates and BCE dates. Thus, the astronomical year 0 corresponds to 1 BCE, and astronomical year -1 corresponds to 2 BCE, etc..


Predictions

The coordinates of the Sun used in these predictions are based on the VSOP87 theory [Bretagnon and Francou, 1988]. The Moon's coordinates are based on the ELP-2000/82 theory [Chapront-Touze and Chapront, 1983]. For more information, see: Solar and Lunar Ephemerides. The revised value used for the Moon's secular acceleration is n-dot = -25.858 arc-sec/cy*cy, as deduced from the Apollo lunar laser ranging experiment (Chapront, Chapront-Touze, and Francou, 2002).

The largest uncertainty in the eclipse predictions is caused by fluctuations in Earth's rotation due primarily to tidal friction of the Moon. The resultant drift in apparent clock time is expressed as ΔT and is determined as follows:

  1. pre-1950's: ΔT calculated from empirical fits to historical records derived by Morrison and Stephenson (2004)
  2. 1955-present: ΔT obtained from published observations
  3. future: ΔT is extrapolated from current values weighted by the long term trend from tidal effects

A series of polynomial expressions have been derived to simplify the evaluation of ΔT for any time from -1999 to +3000. The uncertainty in ΔT over this period can be estimated from scatter in the measurements.


Acknowledgments

The Besselian elements used in the predictions were kindly provided by Jean Meeus. All eclipse calculations are by Fred Espenak, and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy. Some of the information presented on this web site is based on data originally published in Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 and Five Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000.

Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment:

"Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)"


Return to: Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series

Return to: Five Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses

2009 Sep 29