Saros Series Catalog of Solar Eclipses

Saros Series 162

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 162

Solar eclipses of Saros 162 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 2257 Apr 15. The series will end with a partial eclipse in the northern hemisphere on 3501 May 10. The total duration of Saros series 162 is 1244.08 years. In summary:

                      First Eclipse =   2257 Apr 15   12:05:15 TD
                       Last Eclipse =   3501 May 10   21:46:54 TD

                      Duration of Saros 162  =  1244.08 Years

Saros 162 is composed of 70 solar eclipses as follows:

Solar Eclipses of Saros 162
Eclipse Type Symbol Number Percent
All Eclipses - 70100.0%
PartialP 31 44.3%
AnnularA 39 55.7%
TotalT 0 0.0%
Hybrid[3]H 0 0.0%

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 162 appears in the following table.

Umbral Eclipses of Saros 162
Classification Number Percent
All Umbral Eclipses 39100.0%
Central (two limits) 38 97.4%
Central (one limit) 1 2.6%
Non-Central (one limit) 0 0.0%

The following string illustrates the sequence of the 70 eclipses in Saros 162: 9P 39A 22P

The longest and shortest central eclipses of Saros 162 as well as largest and smallest partial eclipses are listed in the below.

Extreme Durations and Magnitudes of Solar Eclipses of Saros 162
Extrema Type Date Duration Magnitude
Longest Annular Solar Eclipse 2762 Feb 1610m04s -
Shortest Annular Solar Eclipse 2419 Jul 2302m17s -
Largest Partial Solar Eclipse 2401 Jul 11 - 0.96198
Smallest Partial Solar Eclipse 3501 May 10 - 0.01330

Description of the Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 162

The catalog below lists concise details and local circumstances at greatest eclipse[5] for every solar eclipse in Saros 162. 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 162.



Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 162

                         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

10107 -34  2257 Apr 15  12:05:15    591   3182   Pb  -1.5121  0.0633  71.3S  60.1E   0             
10152 -33  2275 Apr 26  19:41:41    642   3405   P   -1.4684  0.1423  70.7S  67.0W   0             
10198 -32  2293 May 07  03:09:47    696   3628   P   -1.4186  0.2323  69.9S 168.5E   0             
10243 -31  2311 May 19  10:28:46    751   3851   P   -1.3621  0.3345  69.0S  46.9E   0             
10288 -30  2329 May 29  17:41:09    809   4074   P   -1.3009  0.4449  68.1S  72.5W   0             
10334 -29  2347 Jun 10  00:44:42    868   4297   P   -1.2329  0.5670  67.1S 170.8E   0             
10379 -28  2365 Jun 20  07:44:13    930   4520   P   -1.1623  0.6935  66.1S  55.7E   0             
10423 -27  2383 Jul 01  14:37:42    994   4743   P   -1.0870  0.8276  65.1S  57.5W   0             
10467 -26  2401 Jul 11  21:29:20   1060   4966   P   -1.0111  0.9620  64.2S 169.9W   0             
10510 -25  2419 Jul 23  04:16:45   1128   5189   A   -0.9322  0.9753  45.6S  98.2E  21  242  02m17s

10553 -24  2437 Aug 02  11:06:01   1198   5412   A   -0.8553  0.9741  37.4S   2.8W  31  175  02m33s
10596 -23  2455 Aug 13  17:54:37   1270   5635   A   -0.7781  0.9716  32.3S 104.2W  39  158  02m52s
10638 -22  2473 Aug 24  00:46:32   1344   5858   A   -0.7043  0.9684  29.3S 153.6E  45  156  03m12s
10680 -21  2491 Sep 04  07:41:15   1420   6081   A   -0.6332  0.9646  27.7S  50.9E  51  161  03m34s
10722 -20  2509 Sep 15  14:42:15   1498   6304   A   -0.5679  0.9604  27.3S  53.4W  55  171  03m58s
10763 -19  2527 Sep 26  21:48:45   1579   6527   A   -0.5074  0.9559  27.9S 158.9W  59  183  04m25s
10804 -18  2545 Oct 07  05:01:15   1661   6750   A   -0.4523  0.9514  29.1S  94.4E  63  197  04m54s
10844 -17  2563 Oct 18  12:21:39   1746   6973   A   -0.4042  0.9467  30.7S  14.2W  66  213  05m26s
10884 -16  2581 Oct 28  19:49:23   1832   7196   A   -0.3627  0.9422  32.6S 124.3W  69  228  06m00s
10925 -15  2599 Nov 09  03:25:06   1921   7419   A   -0.3282  0.9379  34.5S 123.9E  71  244  06m35s

10966 -14  2617 Nov 20  11:07:13   2012   7642   A   -0.2995  0.9339  36.2S  11.0E  72  258  07m11s
11007 -13  2635 Dec 01  18:56:55   2104   7865   A   -0.2774  0.9302  37.4S 103.5W  74  272  07m47s
11046 -12  2653 Dec 12  02:51:33   2199   8088   A   -0.2599  0.9271  38.0S 141.1E  75  284  08m21s
11087 -11  2671 Dec 23  10:50:32   2296   8311   A   -0.2466  0.9246  37.8S  24.7E  76  294  08m52s
11128 -10  2690 Jan 02  18:52:25   2395   8534   A   -0.2360  0.9226  36.6S  92.6W  76  301  09m17s
11170 -09  2708 Jan 15  02:56:17   2496   8757   A   -0.2277  0.9212  34.6S 149.2E  77  306  09m38s
11212 -08  2726 Jan 25  10:59:24   2599   8980   A   -0.2189  0.9206  31.7S  30.7E  77  308  09m52s
11255 -07  2744 Feb 05  19:00:30   2705   9203   A   -0.2086  0.9205  28.0S  88.1W  78  308  10m01s
11300 -06  2762 Feb 16  02:58:17   2812   9426   A   -0.1959  0.9211  23.6S 153.3E  79  304  10m04s
11345 -05  2780 Feb 27  10:51:54   2921   9649   A   -0.1801  0.9221  18.6S  35.1E  80  299  10m03s

11390 -04  2798 Mar 09  18:37:54   3033   9872   A   -0.1580  0.9238  13.1S  81.7W  81  291  09m57s
11435 -03  2816 Mar 20  02:17:34   3146  10095   A   -0.1307  0.9259   7.2S 162.7E  82  281  09m48s
11480 -02  2834 Mar 31  09:48:16   3262  10318   A   -0.0959  0.9284   1.0S  49.1E  84  270  09m32s
11526 -01  2852 Apr 10  17:12:01   3379  10541   A   -0.0555  0.9310   5.4N  62.8W  87  258  09m13s
11572  00  2870 Apr 22  00:24:56   3499  10764   A   -0.0061  0.9340  12.0N 171.8W  90  246  08m47s
11619  01  2888 May 02  07:31:10   3621  10987   Am   0.0488  0.9369  18.6N  81.1E  87  235  08m17s
11666  02  2906 May 14  14:27:44   3745  11210   A    0.1121  0.9398  25.2N  23.0W  83  225  07m41s
11711  03  2924 May 24  21:17:54   3871  11433   A    0.1805  0.9426  31.5N 124.7W  79  216  07m02s
11756  04  2942 Jun 05  04:00:12   3999  11656   A    0.2556  0.9452  37.5N 136.5E  75  209  06m22s
11800  05  2960 Jun 15  10:38:45   4129  11879   A    0.3340  0.9474  42.9N  40.0E  70  205  05m45s


Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 162

                         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

11844  06  2978 Jun 26  17:12:36   4261  12102   A    0.4165  0.9493  47.7N  53.9W  65  205  05m12s
11889  07  2996 Jul 06  23:44:03   4395  12325   A    0.5013  0.9508  51.6N 145.6W  60  208  04m44s
-----  08  3014 Jul 19  06:14:29   4532  12548   A    0.5872  0.9517  54.5N 124.3E  54  218  04m23s
-----  09  3032 Jul 29  12:45:47   4670  12771   A    0.6728  0.9522  56.5N  35.2E  47  235  04m07s
-----  10  3050 Aug 09  19:19:09   4811  12994   A    0.7568  0.9520  57.8N  53.6W  41  266  03m57s
-----  11  3068 Aug 20  01:55:43   4953  13217   A    0.8386  0.9512  58.7N 142.5W  33  324  03m50s
-----  12  3086 Aug 31  08:38:06   5098  13440   A    0.9162  0.9495  59.8N 129.3E  23  457  03m47s
-----  13  3104 Sep 11  15:26:43   5244  13663   An   0.9893  0.9456  61.6N  52.2E   7   -   03m44s
-----  14  3122 Sep 22  22:22:21   5393  13886   P    1.0569  0.8692  61.1N  44.6W   0             
-----  15  3140 Oct 03  05:26:49   5544  14109   P    1.1177  0.7639  61.2N 158.7W   0             

-----  16  3158 Oct 14  12:40:14   5697  14332   P    1.1716  0.6708  61.4N  84.9E   0             
-----  17  3176 Oct 24  20:03:48   5852  14555   P    1.2180  0.5907  61.9N  34.1W   0             
-----  18  3194 Nov 05  03:35:16   6009  14778   P    1.2585  0.5206  62.4N 155.2W   0             
-----  19  3212 Nov 15  11:17:54   6168  15001   P    1.2904  0.4655  63.1N  80.7E   0             
-----  20  3230 Nov 26  19:08:34   6329  15224   P    1.3162  0.4210  63.9N  45.5W   0             
-----  21  3248 Dec 07  03:08:54   6492  15447   P    1.3349  0.3887  64.8N 174.5W   0             
-----  22  3266 Dec 18  11:15:18   6658  15670   P    1.3492  0.3639  65.8N  54.7E   0             
-----  23  3284 Dec 28  19:29:42   6825  15893   P    1.3578  0.3487  66.9N  78.6W   0             
-----  24  3303 Jan 10  03:47:54   6994  16116   P    1.3640  0.3377  67.9N 146.7E   0             
-----  25  3321 Jan 20  12:10:10   7166  16339   P    1.3674  0.3314  69.0N  10.4E   0             

-----  26  3339 Jan 31  20:33:45   7340  16562   P    1.3705  0.3255  69.9N 126.8W   0             
-----  27  3357 Feb 11  04:58:24   7515  16785   P    1.3732  0.3201  70.8N  95.0E   0             
-----  28  3375 Feb 22  13:20:49   7693  17008   P    1.3785  0.3101  71.5N  43.2W   0             
-----  29  3393 Mar 04  21:40:44   7873  17231   P    1.3865  0.2951  72.0N 178.8E   0             
-----  30  3411 Mar 17  05:56:23   8055  17454   P    1.3984  0.2729  72.2N  41.4E   0             
-----  31  3429 Mar 27  14:07:42   8239  17677   P    1.4144  0.2433  72.1N  94.9W   0             
-----  32  3447 Apr 07  22:11:35   8425  17900   P    1.4369  0.2015  71.8N 130.9E   0             
-----  33  3465 Apr 18  06:10:09   8613  18123   P    1.4644  0.1504  71.3N   1.6W   0             
-----  34  3483 Apr 29  14:01:00   8803  18346   P    1.4987  0.0863  70.6N 131.6W   0             
-----  35  3501 May 10  21:46:54   8995  18569   Pe   1.5374  0.0133  69.8N 100.3E   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)"


Return to:

Saros Series Catalog of Solar Eclipses

Periodicity of Solar Eclipses

Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses

2009 Sep 26