The periodicity and recurrence of solar (and lunar) 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.
Solar eclipses of Saros 172 all occur at the Moon’s descending node and the Moon moves northward with each eclipse. The series will begin with a partial eclipse in the southern hemisphere on 2474 Aug 13. The series will end with a partial eclipse in the northern hemisphere on 3718 Sep 08. The total duration of Saros series 172 is 1244.08 years. In summary:
First Eclipse = 2474 Aug 13 02:43:56 TD
Last Eclipse = 3718 Sep 08 07:38:42 TD
Duration of Saros 172 = 1244.08 Years
Saros 172 is composed of 70 solar eclipses as follows:
| Solar Eclipses of Saros 172 | |||
| Eclipse Type | Symbol | Number | Percent |
| All Eclipses | - | 70 | 100.0% |
| Partial | P | 16 | 22.9% |
| Annular | A | 23 | 32.9% |
| Total | T | 15 | 21.4% |
| Hybrid[3] | H | 16 | 22.9% |
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 172 appears in the following table.
| Umbral Eclipses of Saros 172 | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All Umbral Eclipses | 54 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 52 | 96.3% |
| Central (one limit) | 1 | 1.9% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 1 | 1.9% |
The following string illustrates the sequence of the 70 eclipses in Saros 172: 8P 23A 16H 15T 8P
The longest and shortest eclipses of Saros 172 as well as other eclipse extrema are listed below.
Longest Total Solar Eclipse: 3520 May 10 Duration = 03m13s
Shortest Total Solar Eclipse: 3322 Jan 09 Duration = 01m33s
Longest Annular Solar Eclipse: 2745 Jan 24 Duration = 05m58s
Shortest Annular Solar Eclipse: 3015 Jul 08 Duration = 00m26s
Longest Hybrid Solar Eclipse: 3303 Dec 30 Duration = 01m27s
Shortest Hybrid Solar Eclipse: 3033 Jul 18 Duration = 00m02s
Largest Partial Solar Eclipse: 3592 Jun 23 Magnitude = 0.9520
Smallest Partial Solar Eclipse: 3718 Sep 08 Magnitude = 0.0165
Local circumstances at greatest eclipse[4] for every eclipse of Saros 172 are presented in the following catalog. The sequence number in the first column links to a global map showing regions of eclipse visibility. A detailed key and additional information about the catalog can be found at: Key to Catalog of Solar Eclipse Saros Series.
For an animation showing how the eclipse path changes with each member of the series, see Saros 172 Animation.
TD of
Seq. Rel. Calendar Greatest Luna Ecl. Ecl. Sun Sun Path Central
Num. Num. Date Eclipse ΔT Num. Type Gamma Mag. Lat. Long. Alt Azm Width Dur.
s ° ° ° ° km
01 -32 2474 Aug 13 02:43:56 1348 5870 Pb -1.4827 0.1379 62.1S 85.2E 0 58
02 -31 2492 Aug 23 09:17:49 1424 6093 P -1.4043 0.2723 61.6S 21.8W 0 67
03 -30 2510 Sep 04 15:56:49 1503 6316 P -1.3292 0.4003 61.2S 130.0W 0 75
04 -29 2528 Sep 14 22:42:54 1583 6539 P -1.2592 0.5192 61.0S 120.2E 0 84
05 -28 2546 Sep 26 05:36:28 1666 6762 P -1.1945 0.6285 61.0S 8.5E 0 93
06 -27 2564 Oct 06 12:38:14 1750 6985 P -1.1361 0.7266 61.1S 105.2W 0 101
07 -26 2582 Oct 17 19:49:11 1837 7208 P -1.0846 0.8128 61.4S 138.8E 0 110
08 -25 2600 Oct 29 03:09:34 1926 7431 P -1.0403 0.8863 61.8S 20.3E 0 119
09 -24 2618 Nov 09 10:39:32 2016 7654 A- -1.0033 0.9474 62.4S 100.7W 0 128 - -
10 -23 2636 Nov 19 18:16:59 2109 7877 As -0.9719 0.9164 70.9S 163.3E 13 113 - 05m33s
11 -22 2654 Dec 01 02:03:29 2204 8100 A -0.9477 0.9165 75.8S 53.4E 18 107 1021 05m41s
12 -21 2672 Dec 11 09:56:21 2301 8323 A -0.9286 0.9165 80.5S 59.4W 21 102 874 05m47s
13 -20 2690 Dec 22 17:55:30 2401 8546 A -0.9140 0.9168 85.1S 166.7W 23 89 795 05m52s
14 -19 2709 Jan 03 01:57:50 2502 8769 A -0.9017 0.9175 87.5S 147.9E 25 14 737 05m55s
15 -18 2727 Jan 14 10:03:51 2605 8992 A -0.8920 0.9189 83.8S 75.5E 26 325 691 05m57s
16 -17 2745 Jan 24 18:10:38 2710 9215 A -0.8825 0.9207 78.8S 40.0W 28 318 646 05m58s
17 -16 2763 Feb 05 02:16:47 2818 9438 A -0.8721 0.9233 73.6S 162.2W 29 318 596 05m58s
18 -15 2781 Feb 15 10:20:50 2927 9661 A -0.8595 0.9265 68.1S 74.0E 30 321 543 05m57s
19 -14 2799 Feb 26 18:21:15 3039 9884 A -0.8432 0.9304 62.3S 49.8W 32 324 484 05m54s
20 -13 2817 Mar 09 02:16:54 3152 10107 A -0.8224 0.9348 56.2S 172.9W 34 328 425 05m49s
21 -12 2835 Mar 20 10:06:06 3268 10330 A -0.7955 0.9398 49.7S 65.6E 37 332 365 05m41s
22 -11 2853 Mar 30 17:49:21 3386 10553 A -0.7631 0.9452 43.1S 54.2W 40 336 309 05m29s
23 -10 2871 Apr 11 01:25:37 3506 10776 A -0.7242 0.9510 36.3S 172.1W 43 340 258 05m12s
24 -09 2889 Apr 21 08:53:56 3628 10999 A -0.6779 0.9570 29.3S 72.4E 47 344 211 04m49s
25 -08 2907 May 03 16:15:29 3752 11222 A -0.6251 0.9632 22.4S 40.9W 51 348 170 04m20s
26 -07 2925 May 13 23:30:12 3878 11445 A -0.5657 0.9693 15.6S 152.0W 55 352 133 03m45s
27 -06 2943 May 25 06:39:59 4006 11668 A -0.5014 0.9753 9.2S 98.8E 60 355 102 03m04s
28 -05 2961 Jun 04 13:43:19 4136 11891 A -0.4308 0.9811 3.1S 8.2W 64 359 74 02m21s
29 -04 2979 Jun 15 20:44:09 4268 12114 A -0.3570 0.9866 2.4N 113.9W 69 3 51 01m39s
30 -03 2997 Jun 26 03:41:44 4403 12337 A -0.2793 0.9916 7.2N 141.9E 74 8 31 01m00s
31 -02 3015 Jul 08 10:38:31 4539 12560 A -0.2000 0.9962 11.1N 38.6E 79 12 13 00m26s
32 -01 3033 Jul 18 17:34:19 4678 12783 H -0.1189 1.0002 14.2N 63.9W 83 16 1 00m02s
33 00 3051 Jul 30 00:32:40 4818 13006 H -0.0389 1.0038 16.4N 166.7W 88 21 13 00m23s
34 01 3069 Aug 09 07:33:40 4961 13229 H 0.0402 1.0066 17.7N 90.1E 88 203 23 00m39s
35 02 3087 Aug 20 14:38:16 5105 13452 H 0.1173 1.0090 18.2N 13.9W 83 206 31 00m52s
36 03 3105 Aug 31 21:48:37 5252 13675 Hm 0.1905 1.0107 18.1N 119.4W 79 208 37 01m00s
37 04 3123 Sep 12 05:05:12 5401 13898 H 0.2593 1.0119 17.5N 133.2E 75 210 42 01m06s
38 05 3141 Sep 22 12:29:56 5552 14121 H 0.3222 1.0127 16.6N 23.5E 71 210 46 01m10s
39 06 3159 Oct 03 20:01:00 5705 14344 H 0.3806 1.0131 15.6N 88.1W 68 210 48 01m12s
40 07 3177 Oct 14 03:42:10 5860 14567 H 0.4314 1.0131 14.6N 157.4E 64 208 49 01m13s
TD of
Seq. Rel. Calendar Greatest Luna Ecl. Ecl. Sun Sun Path Central
Num. Num. Date Eclipse ΔT Num. Type Gamma Mag. Lat. Long. Alt Azm Width Dur.
s ° ° ° ° km
41 08 3195 Oct 25 11:30:55 6017 14790 H 0.4766 1.0130 13.7N 40.7E 61 206 50 01m14s
42 09 3213 Nov 04 19:29:34 6176 15013 H 0.5140 1.0128 13.1N 78.9W 59 203 51 01m15s
43 10 3231 Nov 16 03:35:54 6338 15236 H 0.5457 1.0125 12.8N 159.4E 57 199 51 01m15s
44 11 3249 Nov 26 11:52:09 6501 15459 H 0.5697 1.0124 12.7N 34.9E 55 195 52 01m16s
45 12 3267 Dec 07 20:15:14 6667 15682 H 0.5886 1.0126 13.0N 91.5W 54 191 53 01m18s
46 13 3285 Dec 18 04:45:16 6834 15905 H 0.6025 1.0131 13.7N 140.1E 53 187 56 01m22s
47 14 3303 Dec 30 13:20:44 7004 16128 H2 0.6124 1.0139 14.8N 10.3E 52 182 60 01m27s
48 15 3322 Jan 09 22:01:36 7175 16351 T 0.6181 1.0152 16.3N 120.9W 52 178 66 01m33s
49 16 3340 Jan 21 06:44:20 7349 16574 T 0.6231 1.0169 18.5N 107.2E 51 173 74 01m42s
50 17 3358 Jan 31 15:28:59 7525 16797 T 0.6271 1.0191 21.2N 25.1W 51 170 84 01m52s
51 18 3376 Feb 12 00:12:54 7703 17020 T 0.6320 1.0219 24.5N 157.4W 51 166 96 02m03s
52 19 3394 Feb 22 08:56:29 7883 17243 T 0.6379 1.0250 28.3N 70.4E 50 163 110 02m15s
53 20 3412 Mar 05 17:35:08 8065 17466 T 0.6481 1.0286 32.8N 60.8W 49 160 126 02m28s
54 21 3430 Mar 17 02:11:09 8249 17689 T 0.6611 1.0324 37.8N 168.7E 48 158 145 02m40s
55 22 3448 Mar 27 10:40:10 8435 17912 T 0.6803 1.0364 43.4N 39.9E 47 156 166 02m50s
56 23 3466 Apr 07 19:04:43 8623 18135 T 0.7036 1.0405 49.4N 87.8W 45 154 190 03m00s
57 24 3484 Apr 18 03:20:27 8813 18358 T 0.7345 1.0446 56.0N 146.6E 42 153 219 03m07s
58 25 3502 Apr 30 11:31:27 9006 18581 T 0.7698 1.0484 63.0N 22.5E 39 152 253 03m12s
59 26 3520 May 10 19:33:57 9200 18804 T 0.8125 1.0519 70.5N 99.7W 35 152 297 03m13s
60 27 3538 May 22 03:30:38 9397 19027 T 0.8605 1.0548 78.6N 138.8E 30 150 359 03m11s
61 28 3556 Jun 01 11:20:04 9595 19250 T 0.9150 1.0567 87.7N 3.9W 23 125 473 03m03s
62 29 3574 Jun 12 19:05:04 9796 19473 T 0.9734 1.0568 79.2N 102.9E 12 348 873 02m48s
63 30 3592 Jun 23 02:44:56 9999 19696 P 1.0364 0.9520 65.9N 15.2W 0 344
64 31 3610 Jul 04 10:20:54 10203 19919 P 1.1029 0.8244 64.9N 138.2W 0 335
65 32 3628 Jul 14 17:54:19 10410 20142 P 1.1719 0.6911 64.1N 99.7E 0 325
66 33 3646 Jul 26 01:26:24 10619 20365 P 1.2422 0.5547 63.3N 21.8W 0 316
67 34 3664 Aug 05 08:57:22 10830 20588 P 1.3134 0.4164 62.7N 142.8W 0 307
68 35 3682 Aug 16 16:28:48 11043 20811 P 1.3841 0.2790 62.1N 96.2E 0 298
69 36 3700 Aug 28 00:02:14 11259 21034 P 1.4532 0.1451 61.8N 25.1W 0 290
70 37 3718 Sep 08 07:38:42 11476 21257 Pe 1.5198 0.0165 61.5N 147.1W 0 281
[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 the Earth's center. For total eclipses, the instant of greatest eclipse is virtually identical 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.
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..
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:
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.
Special thanks to Dan McGlaun for extracting the individual eclipse maps from the Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 for use in this catalog and for preparing the Saros series animations from these maps.
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 Solar 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)"
