Saros Series Catalog of Solar Eclipses

Saros Series 68

Introduction

The periodicity and recurrence of 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 13 centuries and contains 70 or more eclipses. Every saros series begins with a number of partial eclipses near one of Earth's polar regions. The series will then produce several dozen central[2] eclipses before ending with a group of partial eclipses near the opposite pole. For more information, see Periodicity of Solar Eclipses.


Statistics for Solar Eclipses of Saros 68

Solar eclipses of Saros 68 all occur at the Moon’s descending node and the Moon moves northward with each eclipse. The series began with a partial eclipse in the southern hemisphere on -0626 Mar 16. The series ended with a partial eclipse in the northern hemisphere on 0654 Apr 22. The total duration of Saros series 68 is 1280.14 years. In summary:

                      First Eclipse =  -0626 Mar 16   01:05:55 TD
                       Last Eclipse =   0654 Apr 22   17:13:12 TD

                      Duration of Saros  68  =  1280.14 Years

Saros 68 is composed of 72 solar eclipses as follows:

Solar Eclipses of Saros 68
Eclipse Type Symbol Number Percent
All Eclipses - 72100.0%
PartialP 30 41.7%
AnnularA 28 38.9%
TotalT 11 15.3%
Hybrid[3]H 3 4.2%

Umbral eclipses (annular, total and hybrid) can be further classified as either: 1) Central (two limits), 2) Central (one limit) or 3) Non-Central (one limit). The statistical distribution of these classes in Saros series 68 appears in the following table.

Umbral Eclipses of Saros 68
Classification Number Percent
All Umbral Eclipses 42100.0%
Central (two limits) 41 97.6%
Central (one limit) 0 0.0%
Non-Central (one limit) 1 2.4%

The following string illustrates the sequence of the 72 eclipses in Saros 68: 7P 28A 3H 11T 23P

The longest and shortest central eclipses of Saros 68 as well as largest and smallest partial eclipses are listed in the below.

Extreme Durations and Magnitudes of Solar Eclipses of Saros 68
Extrema Type Date Duration Magnitude
Longest Annular Solar Eclipse -0428 Jul 1207m07s -
Shortest Annular Solar Eclipse -0013 Mar 1800m27s -
Longest Total Solar Eclipse 0131 Jun 1202m31s -
Shortest Total Solar Eclipse 0239 Aug 1601m45s -
Longest Hybrid Solar Eclipse 0041 Apr 1901m24s -
Shortest Hybrid Solar Eclipse 0005 Mar 2800m14s -
Largest Partial Solar Eclipse 0257 Aug 26 - 0.99693
Smallest Partial Solar Eclipse -0626 Mar 16 - 0.04216

Description of the Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 68

The catalog below lists concise details and local circumstances at greatest eclipse[5] for every solar eclipse in Saros 68. A description or explanation of each parameter listed in the catalog can be found in Key to Catalog of Solar Eclipse Saros Series.

Several fields in the catalog link to web pages or files containing additional information for each eclipse (for the years -1999 through +3000). The following gives a brief explanation of each link.


For an animation showing how the eclipse path changes with each member of the series, see Animation of Saros 68.



Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 68

                         TD of
 Seq. Rel.   Calendar   Greatest          Luna  Ecl.           Ecl.                Sun Path  Central
 Num. Num.     Date      Eclipse     ΔT   Num.  Type  Gamma    Mag.    Lat   Long  Alt Width   Dur.
                                      s                                 °      °     °    km

03270 -34 -0626 Mar 16  01:05:55  19036 -32477   Pb  -1.5403  0.0422  71.6S   9.7W   0             
03316 -33 -0608 Mar 26  07:53:16  18756 -32254   P   -1.4781  0.1467  71.8S 126.7W   0             
03363 -32 -0590 Apr 06  14:34:18  18478 -32031   P   -1.4109  0.2605  71.7S 117.9E   0             
03411 -31 -0572 Apr 16  21:05:31  18202 -31808   P   -1.3355  0.3886  71.4S   5.1E   0             
03457 -30 -0554 Apr 28  03:33:20  17929 -31585   P   -1.2569  0.5225  70.9S 106.5W   0             
03502 -29 -0536 May 08  09:54:52  17657 -31362   P   -1.1725  0.6670  70.2S 144.0E   0             
03547 -28 -0518 May 19  16:14:51  17387 -31139   P   -1.0865  0.8144  69.3S  35.5E   0             
03592 -27 -0500 May 29  22:32:09  17118 -30916   A-  -0.9975  0.9670  68.4S  71.7W   0             
03637 -26 -0482 Jun 10  04:51:57  16798 -30693   A   -0.9098  0.9417  43.3S 177.8E  24  524  06m26s
03680 -25 -0464 Jun 20  11:13:11  16488 -30470   A   -0.8224  0.9439  32.0S  76.9E  34  365  06m51s

03724 -24 -0446 Jul 01  17:38:34  16186 -30247   A   -0.7375  0.9451  23.7S  23.4W  42  299  07m03s
03768 -23 -0428 Jul 12  00:09:36  15892 -30024   A   -0.6564  0.9456  17.3S 124.1W  49  264  07m07s
03810 -22 -0410 Jul 23  06:47:50  15606 -29801   A   -0.5804  0.9456  12.7S 134.2E  54  243  07m03s
03852 -21 -0392 Aug 02  13:34:16  15327 -29578   A   -0.5104  0.9452   9.7S  31.0E  59  232  06m56s
03894 -20 -0374 Aug 13  20:28:56  15055 -29355   A   -0.4465  0.9445   8.0S  73.9W  63  226  06m47s
03935 -19 -0356 Aug 24  03:34:30  14790 -29132   A   -0.3907  0.9437   7.7S 178.6E  67  224  06m39s
03974 -18 -0338 Sep 04  10:49:39  14531 -28909   A   -0.3420  0.9427   8.5S  68.8E  70  223  06m33s
04015 -17 -0320 Sep 14  18:15:18  14277 -28686   A   -0.3015  0.9418  10.3S  43.6W  72  224  06m29s
04056 -16 -0302 Sep 26  01:50:57  14030 -28463   A   -0.2686  0.9411  12.9S 158.6W  74  225  06m26s
04097 -15 -0284 Oct 06  09:37:04  13787 -28240   A   -0.2438  0.9406  16.0S  83.8E  76  226  06m25s

04137 -14 -0266 Oct 17  17:31:31  13550 -28017   A   -0.2251  0.9405  19.5S  35.7W  77  225  06m24s
04177 -13 -0248 Oct 28  01:33:12  13318 -27794   A   -0.2115  0.9408  23.1S 156.8W  78  224  06m21s
04218 -12 -0230 Nov 08  09:41:29  13090 -27571   A   -0.2028  0.9417  26.6S  80.8E  78  220  06m17s
04258 -11 -0212 Nov 18  17:55:03  12867 -27348   A   -0.1981  0.9431  29.7S  42.4W  78  214  06m10s
04299 -10 -0194 Nov 30  02:10:48  12649 -27125   A   -0.1943  0.9452  32.2S 165.6W  79  206  05m58s
04341 -09 -0176 Dec 10  10:28:09  12434 -26902   A   -0.1911  0.9479  33.9S  71.3E  79  195  05m43s
04385 -08 -0158 Dec 21  18:44:20  12224 -26679   A   -0.1862  0.9514  34.5S  51.2W  79  181  05m22s
04428 -07 -0139 Jan 01  02:59:33  12017 -26456   A   -0.1796  0.9554  34.0S 173.4W  79  166  04m57s
04471 -06 -0121 Jan 12  11:09:11  11815 -26233   A   -0.1679  0.9601  32.1S  65.5E  80  147  04m27s
04514 -05 -0103 Jan 22  19:15:23  11615 -26010   A   -0.1527  0.9652  29.1S  55.3W  81  127  03m53s

04557 -04 -0085 Feb 03  03:13:49  11419 -25787   A   -0.1302  0.9709  25.0S 175.0W  82  105  03m15s
04602 -03 -0067 Feb 13  11:06:56  11226 -25564   A   -0.1026  0.9769  20.0S  65.9E  84   83  02m35s
04647 -02 -0049 Feb 24  18:50:54  11036 -25341   A   -0.0666  0.9831  14.1S  51.6W  86   60  01m52s
04692 -01 -0031 Mar 07  02:29:23  10849 -25118   A   -0.0252  0.9895   7.7S 168.3W  89   37  01m09s
04739  00 -0013 Mar 18  09:59:34  10664 -24895   A    0.0238  0.9959   0.8S  76.6E  89   14  00m27s
04784  01  0005 Mar 28  17:23:34  10481 -24672   H    0.0789  1.0022   6.6N  37.2W  85    8  00m14s
04830  02  0023 Apr 09  00:41:09  10301 -24449   Hm   0.1404  1.0082  14.2N 149.4W  82   29  00m51s
04876  03  0041 Apr 19  07:54:46  10123 -24226   H    0.2062  1.0139  22.0N  99.5E  78   49  01m24s
04921  04  0059 Apr 30  15:04:34   9946 -24003   T    0.2762  1.0191  29.8N  10.2W  74   68  01m50s
04965  05  0077 May 10  22:11:37   9771 -23780   T    0.3493  1.0238  37.5N 118.6W  69   86  02m10s


Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 68

                         TD of
 Seq. Rel.   Calendar   Greatest          Luna  Ecl.           Ecl.                Sun Path  Central
 Num. Num.     Date      Eclipse     ΔT   Num.  Type  Gamma    Mag.    Lat   Long  Alt Width   Dur.
                                      s                                 °      °     °    km

05010  06  0095 May 22  05:17:54   9597 -23557   T    0.4242  1.0277  45.0N 134.3E  65  104  02m22s
05055  07  0113 Jun 01  12:24:30   9424 -23334   T    0.5000  1.0310  52.1N  28.7E  60  121  02m29s
05099  08  0131 Jun 12  19:32:12   9252 -23111   T    0.5756  1.0335  58.6N  74.8W  55  139  02m31s
05143  09  0149 Jun 23  02:42:52   9080 -22888   T    0.6495  1.0352  64.1N 175.6W  49  156  02m29s
05185  10  0167 Jul 04  09:57:52   8909 -22665   T    0.7207  1.0361  68.2N  87.0E  44  176  02m24s
05225  11  0185 Jul 14  17:18:39   8738 -22442   T    0.7879  1.0362  70.2N   7.9W  38  198  02m17s
05266  12  0203 Jul 26  00:44:37   8567 -22219   T    0.8516  1.0355  70.3N 102.6W  31  229  02m09s
05307  13  0221 Aug 05  08:18:57   8396 -21996   T    0.9089  1.0339  68.8N 159.0E  24  276  01m58s
05348  14  0239 Aug 16  16:00:15   8224 -21773   T    0.9611  1.0313  66.4N  58.8E  15  392  01m45s
05389  15  0257 Aug 26  23:51:08   8052 -21550   P    1.0060  0.9969  61.3N  34.3W   0             

05430  16  0275 Sep 07  07:49:10   7880 -21327   P    1.0456  0.9222  61.0N 163.3W   0             
05470  17  0293 Sep 17  15:57:50   7706 -21104   P    1.0773  0.8624  60.9N  65.1E   0             
05509  18  0311 Sep 29  00:14:07   7532 -20881   P    1.1035  0.8130  60.9N  68.3W   0             
05549  19  0329 Oct 09  08:39:31   7357 -20658   P    1.1227  0.7769  61.0N 155.9E   0             
05589  20  0347 Oct 20  17:12:08   7181 -20435   P    1.1367  0.7504  61.4N  18.3E   0             
05629  21  0365 Oct 31  01:52:16   7005 -20212   P    1.1450  0.7347  61.9N 121.4W   0             
05670  22  0383 Nov 11  10:37:14   6827 -19989   P    1.1502  0.7249  62.5N  97.7E   0             
05711  23  0401 Nov 21  19:26:03   6649 -19766   P    1.1528  0.7201  63.3N  44.5W   0             
05752  24  0419 Dec 03  04:17:38   6471 -19543   P    1.1536  0.7187  64.2N 172.4E   0             
05793  25  0437 Dec 13  13:10:27   6293 -19320   P    1.1533  0.7193  65.1N  28.6E   0             

05833  26  0455 Dec 24  22:01:42   6114 -19097   P    1.1551  0.7163  66.2N 115.2W   0             
05876  27  0474 Jan 04  06:50:38   5937 -18874   P    1.1589  0.7095  67.3N 101.1E   0             
05919  28  0492 Jan 15  15:35:24   5760 -18651   P    1.1665  0.6957  68.3N  42.1W   0             
05963  29  0510 Jan 26  00:15:39   5583 -18428   P    1.1778  0.6746  69.3N 175.2E   0             
06007  30  0528 Feb 06  08:48:21   5407 -18205   P    1.1955  0.6417  70.2N  33.8E   0             
06052  31  0546 Feb 16  17:15:08   5232 -17982   P    1.2181  0.5989  70.9N 106.7W   0             
06098  32  0564 Feb 28  01:33:17   5058 -17759   P    1.2481  0.5419  71.5N 114.5E   0             
06144  33  0582 Mar 10  09:44:43   4885 -17536   P    1.2837  0.4737  71.8N  23.1W   0             
06190  34  0600 Mar 20  17:47:01   4713 -17313   P    1.3269  0.3907  71.8N 158.5W   0             
06235  35  0618 Apr 01  01:42:57   4543 -17090   P    1.3754  0.2969  71.6N  67.9E   0             

06280  36  0636 Apr 11  09:31:19   4375 -16867   P    1.4301  0.1909  71.2N  63.6W   0             
06326  37  0654 Apr 22  17:13:12   4208 -16644   Pe   1.4901  0.0743  70.6N 167.0E   0             


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.


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]Central solar eclipses are eclipses in which the central axis of the Moon's shadow strikes the Earth's surface. All partial (penumbral) eclipses are non-central eclipses since the shadow axis misses Earth. However, umbral eclipses (total, annular and hybrid) may be either central (usually) or non-central (rarely).

[3]Hybrid eclipses are also known as annular/total eclipses. Such an eclipse is both total and annular along different sections of its umbral path. For more information, see Five Millennium Catalog of Hybrid Solar Eclipses .

[4]Greatest eclipse is defined as the instant when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to Earth's center. For total eclipses, the instant of greatest eclipse is nearly equal to the instants of greatest magnitude and greatest duration. However, for annular eclipses, the instant of greatest duration may occur at either the time of greatest eclipse or near the sunrise and sunset points of the eclipse path.


Acknowledgments

The information presented on this web page is based on data published in Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 and Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000. The individual global maps appearing in links (both GIF an animation) were extracted from full page plates appearing in Five Millennium Canon by Dan McGlaun. The Besselian elements were provided by Jean Meeus. Fred Espenak assumes full responsibility for the accuracy of all eclipse calculations.

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

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


Return to:

Saros Series Catalog of Solar Eclipses

Periodicity of Solar Eclipses

Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses

2009 Sep 26