Saros Series Catalog of Solar Eclipses

Saros Series 126

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 126

Solar eclipses of Saros 126 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 1179 Mar 10. The series will end with a partial eclipse in the northern hemisphere on 2459 May 03. The total duration of Saros series 126 is 1280.14 years. In summary:

                      First Eclipse =   1179 Mar 10   07:39:51 TD
                       Last Eclipse =   2459 May 03   02:35:54 TD

                      Duration of Saros 126  =  1280.14 Years

Saros 126 is composed of 72 solar eclipses as follows:

Solar Eclipses of Saros 126
Eclipse Type Symbol Number Percent
All Eclipses - 72100.0%
PartialP 31 43.1%
AnnularA 28 38.9%
TotalT 10 13.9%
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 126 appears in the following table.

Umbral Eclipses of Saros 126
Classification Number Percent
All Umbral Eclipses 41100.0%
Central (two limits) 40 97.6%
Central (one limit) 1 2.4%
Non-Central (one limit) 0 0.0%

The following string illustrates the sequence of the 72 eclipses in Saros 126: 8P 28A 3H 10T 23P

The longest and shortest central eclipses of Saros 126 as well as largest and smallest partial eclipses are listed in the below.

Extreme Durations and Magnitudes of Solar Eclipses of Saros 126
Extrema Type Date Duration Magnitude
Longest Annular Solar Eclipse 1359 Jun 2606m30s -
Shortest Annular Solar Eclipse 1810 Apr 0400m21s -
Longest Total Solar Eclipse 1972 Jul 1002m36s -
Shortest Total Solar Eclipse 1882 May 1701m50s -
Longest Hybrid Solar Eclipse 1864 May 0601m25s -
Shortest Hybrid Solar Eclipse 1828 Apr 1400m18s -
Largest Partial Solar Eclipse 2062 Sep 03 - 0.97490
Smallest Partial Solar Eclipse 2459 May 03 - 0.02141

Description of the Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 126

The catalog below lists concise details and local circumstances at greatest eclipse[5] for every solar eclipse in Saros 126. 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 126.



Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 126

                         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

07562 -32  1179 Mar 10  07:39:51    792 -10152   Pb  -1.5356  0.0536  72.0S 165.4E   0             
07607 -31  1197 Mar 20  14:48:56    737  -9929   P   -1.4880  0.1327  72.0S  43.8E   0             
07652 -30  1215 Mar 31  21:50:41    686  -9706   P   -1.4344  0.2222  71.7S  75.8W   0             
07698 -29  1233 Apr 11  04:41:24    638  -9483   P   -1.3717  0.3278  71.2S 167.7E   0             
07743 -28  1251 Apr 22  11:26:32    593  -9260   P   -1.3041  0.4423  70.5S  53.1E   0             
07787 -27  1269 May 02  18:03:15    551  -9037   P   -1.2291  0.5699  69.7S  58.8W   0             
07830 -26  1287 May 14  00:35:25    512  -8814   P   -1.1500  0.7052  68.8S 169.0W   0             
07873 -25  1305 May 24  07:02:17    476  -8591   P   -1.0658  0.8496  67.8S  82.8E   0             
07915 -24  1323 Jun 04  13:27:55    441  -8368   As  -0.9799  0.9383  56.1S  23.4W  11   -   05m59s
07956 -23  1341 Jun 14  19:52:10    409  -8145   A   -0.8922  0.9433  39.6S 123.3W  27  465  06m25s

07997 -22  1359 Jun 26  02:16:31    379  -7922   A   -0.8038  0.9463  29.9S 138.3E  36  330  06m30s
08038 -21  1377 Jul 06  08:43:28    351  -7699   A   -0.7168  0.9484  22.8S  40.2E  44  269  06m24s
08079 -20  1395 Jul 17  15:14:16    324  -7476   A   -0.6318  0.9497  17.7S  58.2W  51  234  06m12s
08119 -19  1413 Jul 27  21:50:24    299  -7253   A   -0.5506  0.9506  14.1S 157.5W  57  214  05m58s
08159 -18  1431 Aug 08  04:33:00    275  -7030   A   -0.4737  0.9509  12.0S 102.0E  62  201  05m45s
08199 -17  1449 Aug 18  11:24:05    252  -6807   A   -0.4030  0.9509  11.1S   0.5W  66  194  05m35s
08239 -16  1467 Aug 29  18:24:29    231  -6584   A   -0.3391  0.9505  11.3S 105.2W  70  191  05m29s
08279 -15  1485 Sep 09  01:33:06    211  -6361   A   -0.2811  0.9500  12.4S 148.0E  74  190  05m26s
08320 -14  1503 Sep 20  08:52:38    192  -6138   A   -0.2314  0.9494  14.1S  38.5E  77  190  05m27s
08362 -13  1521 Sep 30  16:21:42    174  -5915   A   -0.1892  0.9489  16.2S  73.3W  79  191  05m30s

08403 -12  1539 Oct 12  00:01:45    158  -5692   A   -0.1551  0.9484  18.7S 172.2E  81  192  05m35s
08444 -11  1557 Oct 22  07:49:28    144  -5469   A   -0.1266  0.9482  21.1S  56.0E  83  192  05m40s
08485 -10  1575 Nov 02  15:47:27    131  -5246   A   -0.1061  0.9483  23.5S  62.6W  84  191  05m44s
08526 -09  1593 Nov 22  23:52:06    121  -5023   A   -0.0906  0.9488  25.4S 177.5E  85  189  05m46s
08566 -08  1611 Dec 04  08:03:43    105  -4800   A   -0.0803  0.9498  26.9S  56.0E  85  185  05m44s
08610 -07  1629 Dec 14  16:19:07     79  -4577   A   -0.0725  0.9513  27.6S  66.2W  86  179  05m38s
08655 -06  1647 Dec 26  00:38:35     52  -4354   A   -0.0675  0.9535  27.4S 170.6E  86  170  05m25s
08701 -05  1666 Jan 05  08:58:51     28  -4131   A   -0.0624  0.9562  26.3S  47.1E  86  160  05m07s
08747 -04  1684 Jan 16  17:18:53     12  -3908   A   -0.0565  0.9596  24.2S  76.7W  87  147  04m43s
08792 -03  1702 Jan 28  01:37:10      8  -3685   A   -0.0484  0.9636  21.2S 159.6E  87  132  04m14s

08837 -02  1720 Feb 08  09:52:31     10  -3462   A   -0.0375  0.9681  17.4S  36.1E  88  115  03m40s
08883 -01  1738 Feb 18  18:02:31     11  -3239   A   -0.0211  0.9732  12.8S  86.7W  89   96  03m03s
08929  00  1756 Mar 01  02:07:09     14  -3016   A    0.0006  0.9787   7.5S 151.4E  90   76  02m24s
08974  01  1774 Mar 12  10:05:14     16  -2793   A    0.0284  0.9845   1.7S  30.8E  88   55  01m43s
09020  02  1792 Mar 22  17:57:34     16  -2570   A    0.0618  0.9905   4.5N  88.7W  86   33  01m02s
09065  03  1810 Apr 04  01:41:19     12  -2347   A    0.1031  0.9967  11.1N 153.8E  84   12  00m21s
09110  04  1828 Apr 14  09:19:38      8  -2124   Hm   0.1498  1.0029  17.9N  37.7E  81   10  00m18s
09154  05  1846 Apr 25  16:50:30      6  -1901   H    0.2038  1.0088  24.8N  76.2W  78   31  00m53s
09197  06  1864 May 06  00:16:48      6  -1678   H    0.2622  1.0146  31.6N 171.5E  75   52  01m25s
09239  07  1882 May 17  07:36:27     -5  -1455   T    0.3269  1.0200  38.4N  61.6E  71   72  01m50s


Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 126

                         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

09281  08  1900 May 28  14:53:56     -2  -1232   T    0.3943  1.0249  44.8N  46.5W  67   92  02m10s
09324  09  1918 Jun 08  22:07:43     20  -1009   T    0.4658  1.0292  50.9N 152.0W  62  112  02m23s
09367  10  1936 Jun 19  05:20:31     24   -786   T    0.5389  1.0329  56.1N 104.7E  57  132  02m31s
09408  11  1954 Jun 30  12:32:38     31   -563   T    0.6135  1.0357  60.5N   4.2E  52  153  02m35s
09448  12  1972 Jul 10  19:46:38     43   -340   T    0.6872  1.0379  63.5N  94.2W  46  175  02m36s
09487  13  1990 Jul 22  03:03:07     57   -117   T    0.7597  1.0391  65.2N 168.9E  40  201  02m33s
09526  14  2008 Aug 01  10:22:12     66    106   T    0.8307  1.0394  65.7N  72.3E  34  237  02m27s
09566  15  2026 Aug 12  17:47:06     75    329   T    0.8977  1.0386  65.2N  25.2W  26  294  02m18s
09606  16  2044 Aug 23  01:17:02     88    552   T    0.9613  1.0364  64.3N 120.4W  15  453  02m04s
09647  17  2062 Sep 03  08:54:27    119    775   P    1.0191  0.9749  61.3N 150.3E   0             

09688  18  2080 Sep 13  16:38:09    158    998   P    1.0723  0.8743  61.1N  25.8E   0             
09729  19  2098 Sep 25  00:31:16    199   1221   P    1.1184  0.7871  61.1N 101.0W   0             
09770  20  2116 Oct 06  08:31:51    243   1444   P    1.1589  0.7105  61.2N 130.4E   0             
09811  21  2134 Oct 17  16:40:42    288   1667   P    1.1931  0.6458  61.5N   0.4W   0             
09853  22  2152 Oct 28  00:57:34    334   1890   P    1.2213  0.5926  61.9N 133.3W   0             
09895  23  2170 Nov 08  09:23:07    373   2113   P    1.2426  0.5524  62.5N  91.6E   0             
09939  24  2188 Nov 18  17:55:25    415   2336   P    1.2591  0.5212  63.2N  45.5W   0             
09984  25  2206 Dec 01  02:33:55    458   2559   P    1.2711  0.4985  64.1N 175.7E   0             
10027  26  2224 Dec 11  11:17:51    504   2782   P    1.2791  0.4834  65.0N  35.2E   0             
10071  27  2242 Dec 22  20:06:40    551   3005   P    1.2836  0.4750  66.0N 106.9W   0             

10116  28  2261 Jan 02  04:56:54    601   3228   P    1.2873  0.4679  67.1N 110.2E   0             
10161  29  2279 Jan 13  13:49:06    653   3451   P    1.2899  0.4630  68.2N  33.7W   0             
10207  30  2297 Jan 23  22:39:47    707   3674   P    1.2940  0.4550  69.2N 177.8W   0             
10252  31  2315 Feb 05  07:29:49    763   3897   P    1.2991  0.4453  70.1N  37.6E   0             
10297  32  2333 Feb 15  16:14:20    821   4120   P    1.3087  0.4270  70.9N 106.2W   0             
10343  33  2351 Feb 27  00:56:12    881   4343   P    1.3209  0.4037  71.5N 110.1E   0             
10388  34  2369 Mar 09  09:30:24    943   4566   P    1.3392  0.3686  71.9N  32.2W   0             
10432  35  2387 Mar 20  17:59:08   1007   4789   P    1.3624  0.3241  72.1N 173.3W   0             
10476  36  2405 Mar 31  02:18:52   1073   5012   P    1.3928  0.2654  71.9N  47.9E   0             
10519  37  2423 Apr 11  10:32:41   1142   5235   P    1.4282  0.1970  71.6N  89.1W   0             

10562  38  2441 Apr 21  18:37:49   1212   5458   P    1.4706  0.1149  71.0N 136.4E   0             
10605  39  2459 May 03  02:35:54   1285   5681   Pe   1.5188  0.0214  70.3N   4.3E   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)"


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Saros Series Catalog of Solar Eclipses

Periodicity of Solar Eclipses

Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses

2009 Sep 26