Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series

Saros Series 42

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 42 all occur at the Moon’s ascending node and the Moon moves southward with each eclipse. The series began with a penumbral eclipse near the northern edge of the penumbra on -1275 Feb 04. The series ended with a penumbral eclipse near the southern edge of the penumbra on 0041 Apr 05. The total duration of Saros series 42 is 1316.20 years. In summary:

                      First Eclipse = -1275 Feb 04   06:43:19 TD
                       Last Eclipse =  0041 Apr 05   09:43:36 TD

                      Duration of Saros  42  =  1316.20 Years

Saros 42 is composed of 74 lunar eclipses as follows:

Lunar Eclipses of Saros 42
Eclipse Type Symbol Number Percent
All Eclipses - 74100.0%
PenumbralN 29 39.2%
PartialP 16 21.6%
TotalT 29 39.2%

The 74 lunar eclipses in Saros 42 occur in the order of 9N 7P 29T 9P 20N which corresponds to:

                                     9  Penumbral
                                     7  Partial
                                    29  Total
                                     9  Partial
                                    20  Penumbral

The longest and shortest eclipses of Saros 42 are as follows.

            Longest  Total  Lunar Eclipse:   -0590 Mar 22      Duration = 01h38m55s
           Shortest  Total  Lunar Eclipse:   -0987 Jul 27      Duration = 00h20m05s

            Longest Partial Lunar Eclipse:   -1005 Jul 16      Duration = 03h05m50s
           Shortest Partial Lunar Eclipse:   -0320 Aug 31      Duration = 00h26m37s

          Longest Penumbral Lunar Eclipse:   -1131 May 01      Duration = 04h09m19s
         Shortest Penumbral Lunar Eclipse:   -1275 Feb 04      Duration = 01h09m03s

The largest and smallest magnitude partial eclipses of Saros 42 are:

            Largest Partial Lunar Eclipse:   -0464 Jun 06      Magnitude = 0.9439
           Smallest Partial Lunar Eclipse:   -0320 Aug 31      Magnitude = 0.0143

Local circumstances at greatest eclipse[2] for every lunar eclipse of Saros 42 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 42

                          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  -37  -1275 Feb 04  06:43:19  30496 -40506   N   a-   1.5391  0.0551 -0.9871   69.0    -      -  
 02  -36  -1257 Feb 15  14:24:00  30141 -40283   N   a-   1.5001  0.1232 -0.9123  102.1    -      -  
 03  -35  -1239 Feb 25  21:57:46  29789 -40060   N   a-   1.4547  0.2033 -0.8255  129.6    -      -  
 04  -34  -1221 Mar 09  05:23:26  29439 -39837   N   a-   1.4017  0.2970 -0.7251  154.6    -      -  
 05  -33  -1203 Mar 19  12:43:30  29090 -39614   N   a-   1.3431  0.4013 -0.6143  177.1    -      -  
 06  -32  -1185 Mar 30  19:57:23  28744 -39391   N   a-   1.2781  0.5174 -0.4920  197.9    -      -  
 07  -31  -1167 Apr 10  03:06:40  28400 -39168   N   a-   1.2083  0.6426 -0.3610  216.8    -      -  
 08  -30  -1149 Apr 21  10:11:37  28058 -38945   N   a-   1.1339  0.7765 -0.2217  234.0    -      -  
 09  -29  -1131 May 01  17:15:07  27717 -38722   N   a-   1.0569  0.9152 -0.0781  249.3    -      -  
 10  -28  -1113 May 13  00:17:25  27379 -38499   P   a-   0.9778  1.0581  0.0691  262.9   59.6    -  

 11  -27  -1095 May 23  07:19:50  27044 -38276   P   a-   0.8976  1.2035  0.2183  274.7  103.4    -  
 12  -26  -1077 Jun 03  14:24:28  26710 -38053   P   a-   0.8180  1.3479  0.3658  284.8  130.6    -  
 13  -25  -1059 Jun 13  21:32:25  26378 -37830   P   a-   0.7398  1.4901  0.5105  293.4  150.4    -  
 14  -24  -1041 Jun 25  04:45:24  26048 -37607   P   a-   0.6650  1.6265  0.6488  300.4  165.4    -  
 15  -23  -1023 Jul 05  12:03:02  25721 -37384   P   a-   0.5929  1.7582  0.7818  306.1  177.0    -  
 16  -22  -1005 Jul 16  19:28:37  25395 -37161   P   a-   0.5263  1.8798  0.9043  310.6  185.8    -  
 17  -21  -0987 Jul 27  03:01:33  25071 -36938   T   a-   0.4647  1.9928  1.0175  314.1  192.6   20.1
 18  -20  -0969 Aug 07  10:42:59  24750 -36715   T   a-   0.4096  2.0940  1.1187  316.6  197.6   50.6
 19  -19  -0951 Aug 17  18:33:21  24431 -36492   T   a-   0.3611  2.1832  1.2075  318.5  201.2   64.9
 20  -18  -0933 Aug 29  02:33:22  24113 -36269   T   p-   0.3200  2.2588  1.2825  319.7  203.8   73.7

 21  -17  -0915 Sep 08  10:43:07  23798 -36046   T   p-   0.2864  2.3210  1.3438  320.4  205.5   79.3
 22  -16  -0897 Sep 19  19:00:27  23485 -35823   T+  p-   0.2584  2.3726  1.3947  320.8  206.6   83.2
 23  -15  -0879 Sep 30  03:27:21  23174 -35600   T+  p-   0.2381  2.4103  1.4317  320.9  207.3   85.6
 24  -14  -0861 Oct 11  12:01:11  22865 -35377   T+  p-   0.2234  2.4376  1.4584  320.8  207.6   87.2
 25  -13  -0843 Oct 21  20:42:26  22558 -35154   T+  p-   0.2143  2.4544  1.4750  320.6  207.6   88.0
 26  -12  -0825 Nov 02  05:27:24  22253 -34931   T+  p-   0.2082  2.4656  1.4862  320.2  207.5   88.5
 27  -11  -0807 Nov 12  14:17:34  21950 -34708   T+  p-   0.2060  2.4694  1.4905  319.8  207.4   88.6
 28  -10  -0789 Nov 23  23:09:09  21650 -34485   T+  p-   0.2048  2.4710  1.4931  319.3  207.2   88.7
 29  -09  -0771 Dec 04  08:01:46  21351 -34262   T+  p-   0.2043  2.4712  1.4948  318.8  207.0   88.7
 30  -08  -0753 Dec 15  16:52:28  21055 -34039   T+  p-   0.2021  2.4744  1.4998  318.3  206.9   88.9

 31  -07  -0735 Dec 26  01:41:18  20760 -33816   T+  p-   0.1980  2.4806  1.5083  317.9  207.0   89.3
 32  -06  -0716 Jan 06  10:25:02  20468 -33593   T+  p-   0.1897  2.4946  1.5249  317.6  207.2   90.2
 33  -05  -0698 Jan 16  19:03:39  20177 -33370   T+  p-   0.1768  2.5167  1.5501  317.5  207.7   91.4
 34  -04  -0680 Jan 28  03:35:20  19889 -33147   T+  p-   0.1582  2.5493  1.5858  317.4  208.3   92.9
 35  -03  -0662 Feb 07  12:00:48  19603 -32924   T+  p-   0.1344  2.5913  1.6310  317.5  209.1   94.6
 36  -02  -0644 Feb 18  20:16:34  19319 -32701   T+  p-   0.1024  2.6484  1.6914  317.6  209.9   96.4
 37  -01  -0626 Mar 01  04:25:36  19037 -32478   T+  pp   0.0646  2.7161  1.7622  317.8  210.6   97.9
 38   00  -0608 Mar 11  12:25:26  18757 -32255   T+  pp   0.0193  2.7979  1.8468  317.8  211.1   98.9
 39   01  -0590 Mar 22  20:19:18  18479 -32032   T-  pp  -0.0309  2.7753  1.8267  317.6  211.2   98.9
 40   02  -0572 Apr 02  04:03:37  18203 -31809   T-  pp  -0.0890  2.6677  1.7212  317.1  210.7   97.5


Catalog of Lunar Eclipses in Saros 42

                          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   03  -0554 Apr 13  11:43:42  17929 -31586   T-  -p  -0.1506  2.5539  1.6090  316.2  209.4   94.4
 42   04  -0536 Apr 23  19:16:29  17657 -31363   T-  -p  -0.2184  2.4290  1.4851  314.6  207.0   88.7
 43   05  -0518 May 05  02:46:09  17388 -31140   T   -p  -0.2884  2.3002  1.3567  312.5  203.5   79.9
 44   06  -0500 May 15  10:10:36  17119 -30917   T   -a  -0.3627  2.1641  1.2203  309.6  198.6   65.8
 45   07  -0482 May 26  17:34:51  16799 -30694   T   -a  -0.4368  2.0284  1.0838  306.0  192.4   42.4
 46   08  -0464 Jun 06  00:56:59  16488 -30471   P   -a  -0.5126  1.8902  0.9439  301.5  184.4    -  
 47   09  -0446 Jun 17  08:20:03  16187 -30248   P   -a  -0.5873  1.7543  0.8058  296.3  174.8    -  
 48   10  -0428 Jun 27  15:44:26  15893 -30025   P   -a  -0.6606  1.6214  0.6699  290.4  163.3    -  
 49   11  -0410 Jul 08  23:12:12  15607 -29802   P   -a  -0.7306  1.4947  0.5397  283.9  149.9    -  
 50   12  -0392 Jul 19  06:43:43  15328 -29579   P   -a  -0.7969  1.3750  0.4159  277.0  134.3    -  

 51   13  -0374 Jul 30  14:19:32  15056 -29356   P   -a  -0.8591  1.2632  0.2996  269.8  116.2    -  
 52   14  -0356 Aug 09  22:01:56  14791 -29133   P   -a  -0.9154  1.1624  0.1938  262.7   95.1    -  
 53   15  -0338 Aug 21  05:50:30  14531 -28910   P   -a  -0.9662  1.0718  0.0979  255.7   68.7    -  
 54   16  -0320 Aug 31  13:46:13  14278 -28687   P   -a  -1.0103  0.9937  0.0143  249.2   26.6    -  
 55   17  -0302 Sep 11  21:49:04  14030 -28464   N   -a  -1.0480  0.9274 -0.0576  243.3    -      -  
 56   18  -0284 Sep 22  05:59:57  13788 -28241   N   -a  -1.0785  0.8743 -0.1163  238.5    -      -  
 57   19  -0266 Oct 03  14:17:30  13551 -28018   N   -a  -1.1031  0.8320 -0.1642  234.6    -      -  
 58   20  -0248 Oct 13  22:41:01  13318 -27795   N   -a  -1.1223  0.7993 -0.2021  231.6    -      -  
 59   21  -0230 Oct 25  07:10:31  13091 -27572   N   -a  -1.1361  0.7764 -0.2299  229.6    -      -  
 60   22  -0212 Nov 04  15:44:57  12868 -27349   N   -a  -1.1451  0.7621 -0.2486  228.7    -      -  

 61   23  -0194 Nov 16  00:22:07  12649 -27126   N   -a  -1.1518  0.7520 -0.2627  228.2    -      -  
 62   24  -0176 Nov 26  09:00:50  12435 -26903   N   -a  -1.1565  0.7450 -0.2731  228.1    -      -  
 63   25  -0158 Dec 07  17:39:19  12224 -26680   N   -a  -1.1609  0.7383 -0.2826  228.0    -      -  
 64   26  -0140 Dec 18  02:16:49  12018 -26457   N   -a  -1.1656  0.7309 -0.2923  227.8    -      -  
 65   27  -0122 Dec 29  10:49:20  11815 -26234   N   -a  -1.1735  0.7172 -0.3077  226.7    -      -  
 66   28  -0103 Jan 08  19:17:49  11616 -26011   N   -a  -1.1840  0.6986 -0.3276  224.9    -      -  
 67   29  -0085 Jan 20  03:38:16  11419 -25788   N   -a  -1.2003  0.6691 -0.3579  221.5    -      -  
 68   30  -0067 Jan 30  11:52:04  11226 -25565   N   -a  -1.2211  0.6311 -0.3964  216.6    -      -  
 69   31  -0049 Feb 10  19:55:00  11036 -25342   N   -a  -1.2500  0.5783 -0.4494  209.1    -      -  
 70   32  -0031 Feb 21  03:49:48  10849 -25119   N   -a  -1.2843  0.5153 -0.5125  199.2    -      -  

 71   33  -0013 Mar 04  11:33:13  10664 -24896   N   -a  -1.3268  0.4373 -0.5906  185.5    -      -  
 72   34   0005 Mar 14  19:06:49  10482 -24673   N   -h  -1.3763  0.3466 -0.6814  167.1    -      -  
 73   35   0023 Mar 26  02:29:29  10301 -24450   N   -h  -1.4336  0.2416 -0.7867  141.4    -      -  
 74   36   0041 Apr 05  09:43:36  10123 -24227   N   -h  -1.4966  0.1263 -0.9026  103.6    -      -  


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)"


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2009 Sep 29