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An occultation of the Sun by the Moon. 240 solar eclipses occur every century. Solar eclipses take place
during daylight hours and can occur only at new moon. Solar eclipses may be total or
annular. Total solar eclipses can last up to 7.6 minutes, while annular solar eclipses can last up
to 12.5 minutes.
New moons occur on Julian days
where n is an integer, and solar eclipses occur when n (mod 223) is one of
0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42,
47, 53, 59, 65, 71, 77, 83, 89,
88, 94, 100, 106, 112, 118, 124, 130,
135, 141, 147, 153, 159, 165, 171, 177,
182, 188, 194, 200, 206, 212, or 218.
The sequence of eclipses repeats with a period of 223 synodic months, known as the Saros
cycle. This period is 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours if the 18 years include four leap years (or 18
years, 10 days, and 8 hours if the 18 years include five leap years).
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