Keys to the Five Millennium Canon of Solar
Eclipses
1999 to +3000
Column |
Heading |
Definition/Description |
1 |
Catalog Number |
Sequential number of the eclipse in the catalog links to the map published in the Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000. |
2 |
Canon plate |
Group of 20 consecutive Solar eclipses |
Calendar Date |
Calendar Date at instant of Greatest Eclipse. Gregorian Calendar is used for dates after 1582 Oct 15. Julian Calendar is used for dates before 1582 Oct 04. |
|
Year |
Year of the Julian-Gregorian calendar, following the astronomers’ convention, i.e. there is a year 0 |
|
4 |
Month |
Month name of the Julian-Gregorian calendar |
5 |
Date |
Day number of the Julian-Gregorian calendar |
6 |
TD of Greatest Eclipse |
Dynamical Time (TD) of Greatest Eclipse, the instant when the axis of the Moon's shadow cone passes closest to Earth's center |
Standard date |
String that expresses the Calendar Date under Open Office’s convention. Here the year after the minus follows the historians’ convention, i.e. year 1 comes just after year -1 |
|
8 |
Milesian date |
Complete date (with time) following the Milesian calendar at instant of Greatest Eclipse, in dynamical time (TD) |
9 |
Julian day |
Decimal julian day that matches the TD date |
10 |
M-year |
Year part of the Milesian date (it always follows the astronomers’ convention) |
11 |
M-month |
Month part of the Milesian date, a month number without “m” |
12 |
M-date |
Day number part of the Milesian date, a number 1 to 31 |
13 |
ΔT |
Delta T (ΔT) is the arithmetic difference between Dynamical Time and Universal Time. It is a measure of the accumulated clock error due to the variable rotation period of Earth. Subtract ΔT from Dynamical time to get UTC time. |
14 |
Luna Num |
Lunation Number is the number of synodic months since New Moon of 2000 Jan 06 (M2000-01-16). The Brown Lunation Number can be determined by adding 953. |
15 |
Saros Num |
Saros series number of eclipse. (Each eclipse in a Saros is separated by an interval of 18 years 11.3 days.) |
16 |
Ecl. Type |
Eclipse Type where: P = Partial Eclipse. A = Annular Eclipse. T = Total Eclipse. H = Hybrid or Annular/Total Eclipse. Second character in Eclipse Type: "m" = Middle eclipse of Saros series. "n" = Central eclipse with no northern limit. "s" = Central eclipse with no southern limit. "+" = Non-central eclipse with no northern limit. "-" = Non-central eclipse with no southern limit. "2" = Hybrid path begins total and ends annular. "3" = Hybrid path begins annular and ends total. "b" = Saros series begins (first eclipse in series). "e" = Saros series ends (last eclipse in series). |
17 |
Gamma |
Distance of the shadow cone axis from the center of Earth (units of equatorial radii) at the instant of greatest eclipse. |
18 |
Ecl. Mag. |
Eclipse magnitude is the fraction of the Sun's diameter obscured by the Moon. For annular, total and hybrid eclipses, this value is actually the diameter ratio of Moon/Sun. |
19 |
Lat. |
Latitude where greatest eclipse is seen (counted towards North). |
20 |
Long. |
Longitude where greatest eclipse is seen (counted towards East). |
21 |
Sun Alt |
Sun's altitude at greatest eclipse (degrees) |
22 |
Sun Azm |
Sun's azimuth at greatest eclipse. |
23 |
Path Width |
Width of the path of totality or annularity at greatest eclipse (kilometers). |
24 |
Central Dur. |
Central Line Duration of total or annular phase at greatest eclipse. |