This table summarizes the characteristics of various eclipse cycles, and can be computed from

the numerical results of the preceding paragraphs; cf. Meeus (1997) Ch.9 . More details are given
in the comments below, and several notable cycles have their own pages.
Any eclipse cycle, and indeed the interval between any two eclipses, can be expressed as a
combination of saros (s) and inex (i) intervals. These are listed in the column "formula".

cycle

form
ula

sola
r
day
s

synod
ic
month
s

dracon
ic
month
s

anomalis
tic
months

eclip
se
years

tropic
al
years

fortnight

(38i
61s)/2

14.77

0.5

0.543

0.536

0.043

0.040

synodic
month

38i 61s

29.53

1.085

1.072

0.085

0.081

pentalune
-33i + 53s 147.65
x

5.426

5.359

0.426

0.404

semester 5i 8s

177.18

6.511

6.430

0.511

0.485

lunar
year

10i 16s

354.37

12

13.022

12.861

1.022

0.970

octon

2i 3s

1387.94

47

51.004

50.371

4.004

3.800

tzolkinex

-i + 2s

2598.69

88

95.497

94.311

7.497

7.115

sar (half
saros)

(0i + s)/2 3292.66

111.5

120.999

119.496

9.499

9.015

tritos

is

3986.63

135

146.501

144.681

11.501

10.915

saros (s)

0i + s

6585.32

223

241.999

238.992

18.999

18.030

Metonic
cycle

10i 15s

6939.69

235

255.021

251.853

20.021

19.000

inex (i)

i 0s

10,571.9
358
5

388.500

383.674

30.500

28.945

exeligmos 0i + 3s

19,755.9
669
6

725.996

716.976

56.996

54.090

Callippic
cycle

27,758.7
940
5

1020.084

1007.411

80.084

76.001

40i 60s

cycle

form
ula

sola
r
day
s

synod
ic
month
s

dracon
ic
month
s

anomalis
tic
months

eclip
se
years

tropic
al
years

triad

3i 0s

31,715.8
1074
5

1165.500

1151.021

91.500

86.835

Hipparchi
25i 21s
c cycle

126,007.
4267
02

4630.531

4573.002

363.531

344.996

Babylonia
14i + 2s
n

161,177.
5458
95

5922.999

5849.413

464.999

441.291

tetradia
(Meeus
III)

22i 4s

206,241.
6984
63

7579.008

7484.849

595.008

564.671

tetradia
(Meeus
[I])

19i + 2s

214,037.
7248
70

7865.500

7767.781

617.500

586.016

Notes:
Fortnight
Half a synodic month (29.53 days). When there is an eclipse, there is a fair chance that at the
next syzygy there will be another eclipse: the Sun and Moon will have moved about 15 with
respect to the nodes (the Moon being opposite to where it was the previous time), but the
luminaries may still be within bounds to make an eclipse.
For example, partial solar eclipse of June 1, 2011 is followed by the total lunar eclipse of June 16,
2011 and partial solar eclipse of July 1, 2011.
For more information see eclipse season.
Synodic Month
Similarly, two events one synodic month apart have the Sun and Moon at two positions on either
side of the node, 29 apart: both may cause a partial eclipse.
Pentalunex
5 synodic months. Successive solar or lunar eclipses may occur 1, 5 or 6 synodic months apart. [6]
Semester
Half a lunar year. Eclipses will repeat exactly one semester apart at alternating nodes in a cycle
that lasts for 8 eclipses. Because it is close to a half integer of anomalistic, draconic months, and
tropical years, each solar eclipse will alternate between hemispheres each semester, as well as
alternate between total and annular. Hence there can be a maximum of one total or annular
eclipse each in a given year.

Lunar year
Twelve (synodic) months, a little longer than an eclipse year: the Sun has returned to the node,
so eclipses may again occur.
Octon
This is 1/5 of the Metonic cycle, and a fairly decent short eclipse cycle, but poor in anomalistic
returns. Each octon in a series is 2 saros apart, always occurring at the same node.
Tzolkinex
Includes a half draconic month, so occurs at alternating nodes and alternates between
hemispheres. Each consecutive eclipse is a member of preceding saros series from the one
before. Equal to ten tzolk'ins. Every third tzolkinex in a series is near an integer number of
anomalistic months and so will have similar properties.
Sar (Half saros)
Includes an odd number of fortnights (223). As a result, eclipses alternate between lunar and
solar with each cycle, occurring at the same node and with similar characteristics. A long central
total solar eclipse will be followed by a very central total lunar eclipse. A solar eclipse where the
moon's penumbra just barely grazes the southern limb of earth will be followed half a saros later
by a lunar eclipse where the moon just grazes the southern limb of the earth's penumbra. [7]
Tritos
A mediocre cycle, relates to the saros like the inex. A triple tritos is close to an integer number of
anomalistic months and so will have similar properties.
Saros
The best known eclipse cycle, and one of the best for predicting eclipses, in which 223 synodic
months equal 242 draconic months with an error of only 51 minutes. It is also close to 239
anomalistic months, which makes the circumstances between two eclipses one saros apart very
similar.
Metonic cycle or Enneadecaeteris
This is nearly equal to 19 tropical years, but is also 5 "octon" periods and close to 20 eclipse
years: so it yields a short series of eclipses on the same calendar date. It consists of 110 hollow
months and 125 full months, so nominally 6940 days, and equals 235 lunations (235 synodic
months) with an error of only ~7.5 hours.
Inex
By itself a poor cycle, it is very convenient in the classification of eclipse cycles, because after a
saros series dies, a new saros series often begins 1 inex later (hence its name: in-ex). One inex
after an eclipse, another eclipse takes place at almost the same longitude, but at the opposite
latitude.
Exeligmos

A triple saros, with the advantage that it has nearly an integer number of days, so the next
eclipse will be visible at locations near the eclipse that occurred one exeligmos earlier, in
contrast to the saros, in which the eclipse occurs about 8 hours later in the day or about 120 to
the west of the eclipse that occurred one saros earlier.
Callippic cycle
441 hollow months and 499 full months; thus 4 Metonic Cycles minus one day or precisely 76
years of 365 days. It equals 940 lunations with an error of only 5.9 hours.
Triad
A triple inex, with the advantage that it has nearly an integer number of anomalistic months,
which makes the circumstances between two eclipses one Triad apart very similar, but at the
opposite latitude. Almost exactly 87 calendar years minus 2 months. The triad means that every
third saros series will be similar (mostly total central eclipses or annular central eclipses for
example). Saros 130, 133, 136, 139, 142 and 145, for example, all produce mainly total central
eclipses.
Hipparchic cycle
Not a noteworthy eclipse cycle, but Hipparchus constructed it to closely match an integer
number of synodic and anomalistic months, years (345), and days. By comparing his own eclipse
observations with Babylonian records from 345 years earlier, he could verify the accuracy of the
various periods that the Chaldeans used.
Babylonian
The ratio 5923 returns to latitude in 5458 months was used by the Chaldeans in their
astronomical computations.
Tetradia
Sometimes 4 total lunar eclipses occur in a row with intervals of 6 lunations (semester), and this
is called a tetrad. Giovanni Schiaparelli noticed that there are eras when such tetrads occur
comparatively frequently, interrupted by eras when they are rare. This variation takes about 6
centuries. Antonie Pannekoek(1951) offered an explanation for this phenomenon and found a
period of 591 years. Van den Bergh (1954) from Theodor von Oppolzer's Canon der
Finsternisse found a period of 586 years. This happens to be an eclipse cycle; see Meeus [I]
(1997). Recently Tudor Hughes explained the variation from secular changes in
the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit: the period for occurrence of tetrads is variable and currently
is about 565 years; see Meeus III (2004) for a detailed discussion.