Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series

Saros Series 55

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 55 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 -0935 Apr 25. The series ended with a penumbral eclipse near the northern edge of the penumbra on 0345 Jun 01. The total duration of Saros series 55 is 1280.14 years. In summary:

                      First Eclipse = -0935 Apr 25   03:12:37 TD
                       Last Eclipse =  0345 Jun 01   21:03:03 TD

                      Duration of Saros  55  =  1280.14 Years

Saros 55 is composed of 72 lunar eclipses as follows:

Lunar Eclipses of Saros 55
Eclipse Type Symbol Number Percent
All Eclipses - 72100.0%
PenumbralN 15 20.8%
PartialP 44 61.1%
TotalT 13 18.1%

The 72 lunar eclipses in Saros 55 occur in the order of 7N 24P 13T 20P 8N which corresponds to:

                                     7  Penumbral
                                    24  Partial
                                    13  Total
                                    20  Partial
                                     8  Penumbral

The longest and shortest eclipses of Saros 55 are as follows.

            Longest  Total  Lunar Eclipse:   -0268 May 30      Duration = 01h42m56s
           Shortest  Total  Lunar Eclipse:   -0160 Aug 03      Duration = 00h27m55s

            Longest Partial Lunar Eclipse:   -0142 Aug 14      Duration = 03h16m33s
           Shortest Partial Lunar Eclipse:   -0809 Jul 10      Duration = 00h42m51s

          Longest Penumbral Lunar Eclipse:    0219 Mar 18      Duration = 04h49m40s
         Shortest Penumbral Lunar Eclipse:   -0935 Apr 25      Duration = 01h09m29s

The largest and smallest magnitude partial eclipses of Saros 55 are:

            Largest Partial Lunar Eclipse:   -0394 Mar 16      Magnitude = 0.9748
           Smallest Partial Lunar Eclipse:   -0809 Jul 10      Magnitude = 0.0391

Local circumstances at greatest eclipse[2] for every lunar eclipse of Saros 55 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 55

                          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  -0935 Apr 25  03:12:37  24155 -36298   Nb  a-  -1.5053  0.0681 -0.8771   69.5    -      -  
 02  -36  -0917 May 06  10:39:22  23839 -36075   N   a-  -1.4345  0.1969 -0.7461  116.6    -      -  
 03  -35  -0899 May 16  18:03:46  23526 -35852   N   a-  -1.3616  0.3298 -0.6115  148.9    -      -  
 04  -34  -0881 May 28  01:27:49  23214 -35629   N   a-  -1.2880  0.4645 -0.4760  174.3    -      -  
 05  -33  -0863 Jun 07  08:51:28  22905 -35406   N   a-  -1.2139  0.6003 -0.3399  195.4    -      -  
 06  -32  -0845 Jun 18  16:18:02  22598 -35183   N   a-  -1.1420  0.7325 -0.2083  212.9    -      -  
 07  -31  -0827 Jun 28  23:47:13  22293 -34960   N   a-  -1.0725  0.8606 -0.0813  227.7    -      -  
 08  -30  -0809 Jul 10  07:20:32  21990 -34737   P   a-  -1.0064  0.9828  0.0391  240.3   42.9    -  
 09  -29  -0791 Jul 20  14:59:07  21689 -34514   P   a-  -0.9447  1.0973  0.1513  251.0   83.0    -  
 10  -28  -0773 Jul 31  22:44:28  21390 -34291   P   a-  -0.8886  1.2015  0.2527  259.8  105.8    -  

 11  -27  -0755 Aug 11  06:36:35  21093 -34068   P   a-  -0.8384  1.2952  0.3433  267.2  121.7    -  
 12  -26  -0737 Aug 22  14:35:40  20798 -33845   P   a-  -0.7942  1.3783  0.4227  273.4  133.5    -  
 13  -25  -0719 Sep 01  22:43:06  20506 -33622   P   a-  -0.7572  1.4480  0.4886  278.4  142.2    -  
 14  -24  -0701 Sep 13  06:58:30  20215 -33399   P   a-  -0.7271  1.5053  0.5420  282.5  148.7    -  
 15  -23  -0683 Sep 23  15:21:32  19926 -33176   P   a-  -0.7035  1.5506  0.5834  285.7  153.4    -  
 16  -22  -0665 Oct 04  23:51:57  19640 -32953   P   a-  -0.6863  1.5840  0.6130  288.2  156.6    -  
 17  -21  -0647 Oct 15  08:28:55  19356 -32730   P   a-  -0.6749  1.6067  0.6321  290.0  158.8    -  
 18  -20  -0629 Oct 26  17:11:40  19073 -32507   P   a-  -0.6688  1.6196  0.6417  291.4  159.9    -  
 19  -19  -0611 Nov 06  01:57:22  18793 -32284   P   a-  -0.6656  1.6270  0.6462  292.4  160.6    -  
 20  -18  -0593 Nov 17  10:47:01  18515 -32061   P   a-  -0.6660  1.6274  0.6442  293.1  160.6    -  

 21  -17  -0575 Nov 27  19:36:50  18239 -31838   P   a-  -0.6668  1.6270  0.6417  293.7  160.6    -  
 22  -16  -0557 Dec 09  04:26:52  17965 -31615   P   a-  -0.6685  1.6246  0.6378  294.2  160.5    -  
 23  -15  -0539 Dec 19  13:13:01  17693 -31392   P   a-  -0.6674  1.6272  0.6394  295.0  161.0    -  
 24  -14  -0521 Dec 30  21:56:48  17423 -31169   P   a-  -0.6649  1.6320  0.6436  296.0  161.8    -  
 25  -13  -0502 Jan 10  06:34:14  17155 -30946   P   a-  -0.6574  1.6459  0.6573  297.4  163.5    -  
 26  -12  -0484 Jan 21  15:05:25  16840 -30723   P   a-  -0.6454  1.6679  0.6793  299.3  166.0    -  
 27  -11  -0466 Jan 31  23:27:57  16528 -30500   P   a-  -0.6267  1.7021  0.7138  301.8  169.6    -  
 28  -10  -0448 Feb 12  07:42:47  16225 -30277   P   a-  -0.6022  1.7468  0.7589  304.8  174.0    -  
 29  -09  -0430 Feb 22  15:48:02  15931 -30054   P   a-  -0.5703  1.8052  0.8176  308.4  179.3    -  
 30  -08  -0412 Mar 04  23:43:55  15643 -29831   P   a-  -0.5312  1.8768  0.8895  312.4  185.3    -  

 31  -07  -0394 Mar 16  07:30:08  15364 -29608   P   a-  -0.4847  1.9621  0.9748  316.8  191.6    -  
 32  -06  -0376 Mar 26  15:07:40  15091 -29385   T   p-  -0.4319  2.0593  1.0716  321.3  197.9   40.4
 33  -05  -0358 Apr 06  22:35:36  14825 -29162   T   p-  -0.3718  2.1698  1.1815  325.9  204.1   62.4
 34  -04  -0340 Apr 17  05:56:21  14565 -28939   T   p-  -0.3064  2.2903  1.3010  330.3  209.8   77.4
 35  -03  -0322 Apr 28  13:09:23  14310 -28716   T-  pp  -0.2357  2.4208  1.4299  334.3  214.7   88.4
 36  -02  -0304 May 08  20:17:51  14062 -28493   T-  pp  -0.1620  2.5573  1.5642  337.7  218.6   96.2
 37  -01  -0286 May 20  03:19:29  13819 -28270   T-  pp  -0.0836  2.7024  1.7066  340.5  221.4  101.1
 38   00  -0268 May 30  10:19:37  13581 -28047   T-  pp  -0.0051  2.8481  1.8490  342.6  222.8  102.9
 39   01  -0250 Jun 10  17:16:05  13348 -27824   T+  pp   0.0752  2.7214  1.7184  343.8  222.9  101.8
 40   02  -0232 Jun 21  00:13:34  13120 -27601   T+  pp   0.1540  2.5790  1.5717  344.2  221.5   97.5


Catalog of Lunar Eclipses in Saros 55

                          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  -0214 Jul 02  07:09:55  12897 -27378   T+  -p   0.2326  2.4373  1.4251  343.8  218.8   89.5
 42   04  -0196 Jul 12  14:10:33  12677 -27155   T   -a   0.3066  2.3042  1.2866  342.6  214.7   77.6
 43   05  -0178 Jul 23  21:13:32  12463 -26932   T   -a   0.3774  2.1772  1.1538  340.9  209.5   59.6
 44   06  -0160 Aug 03  04:21:58  12252 -26709   T   -a   0.4426  2.0606  1.0311  338.7  203.4   27.9
 45   07  -0142 Aug 14  11:35:38  12045 -26486   P   -a   0.5027  1.9536  0.9178  336.2  196.5    -  
 46   08  -0124 Aug 24  18:56:49  11841 -26263   P   -a   0.5556  1.8598  0.8176  333.7  189.4    -  
 47   09  -0106 Sep 05  02:24:51  11641 -26040   P   -h   0.6017  1.7785  0.7297  331.3  182.2    -  
 48   10  -0088 Sep 15  09:59:46  11445 -25817   P   -h   0.6412  1.7093  0.6542  329.1  175.2    -  
 49   11  -0070 Sep 26  17:42:43  11251 -25594   P   -h   0.6730  1.6540  0.5926  327.4  168.9    -  
 50   12  -0052 Oct 07  01:32:43  11061 -25371   P   -h   0.6983  1.6105  0.5433  326.1  163.4    -  

 51   13  -0034 Oct 18  09:29:26  10873 -25148   P   -h   0.7173  1.5784  0.5058  325.4  159.0    -  
 52   14  -0016 Oct 28  17:31:20  10688 -24925   P   -h   0.7313  1.5551  0.4777  325.1  155.6    -  
 53   15   0002 Nov 09  01:38:13  10505 -24702   P   -h   0.7405  1.5403  0.4587  325.2  153.3    -  
 54   16   0020 Nov 19  09:47:34  10325 -24479   P   -h   0.7471  1.5300  0.4448  325.5  151.6    -  
 55   17   0038 Nov 30  17:57:58  10146 -24256   P   -h   0.7523  1.5219  0.4340  325.9  150.3    -  
 56   18   0056 Dec 11  02:08:06   9969 -24033   P   -t   0.7573  1.5137  0.4239  326.1  149.1    -  
 57   19   0074 Dec 22  10:16:17   9794 -23810   P   -t   0.7635  1.5029  0.4119  326.1  147.5    -  
 58   20   0093 Jan 01  18:19:53   9620 -23587   P   -t   0.7729  1.4858  0.3943  325.5  145.0    -  
 59   21   0111 Jan 13  02:17:53   9447 -23364   P   -t   0.7865  1.4607  0.3695  324.2  141.1    -  
 60   22   0129 Jan 23  10:08:52   9274 -23141   P   -t   0.8054  1.4256  0.3353  322.1  135.4    -  

 61   23   0147 Feb 03  17:52:16   9103 -22918   P   -t   0.8303  1.3793  0.2902  318.8  127.0    -  
 62   24   0165 Feb 14  01:25:02   8932 -22695   P   -t   0.8633  1.3179  0.2307  314.1  114.4    -  
 63   25   0183 Feb 25  08:49:05   8761 -22472   P   -t   0.9027  1.2445  0.1593  308.0   96.2    -  
 64   26   0201 Mar 07  16:02:06   8590 -22249   P   -t   0.9505  1.1556  0.0727  299.8   65.8    -  
 65   27   0219 Mar 18  23:06:50   8419 -22026   Nx  -t   1.0046  1.0552 -0.0254  289.7    -      -  
 66   28   0237 Mar 29  05:59:54   8247 -21803   N   -t   1.0676  0.9385 -0.1397  276.6    -      -  
 67   29   0255 Apr 09  12:46:05   8075 -21580   N   -t   1.1356  0.8126 -0.2634  260.7    -      -  
 68   30   0273 Apr 19  19:22:51   7903 -21357   N   -t   1.2102  0.6747 -0.3993  240.8    -      -  
 69   31   0291 May 01  01:54:20   7729 -21134   N   -t   1.2885  0.5300 -0.5422  216.4    -      -  
 70   32   0309 May 11  08:19:25   7555 -20911   N   -t   1.3715  0.3770 -0.6936  185.1    -      -  

 71   33   0327 May 22  14:42:20   7380 -20688   N   -t   1.4554  0.2223 -0.8471  144.1    -      -  
 72   34   0345 Jun 01  21:03:03   7205 -20465   Ne  -t   1.5406  0.0656 -1.0030   79.4    -      -  


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