Feb. 9, 1906, Total Lunar Eclipse Belongs to Saros Cycle 122

Summary: The Feb. 9, 1906, total lunar eclipse belongs to Saros cycle 122, a series of 74 similar lunar eclipses.

The penumbral lunar eclipse of 1022 Aug 14 opened Saros series 122: "Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment, Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)," via NASA Eclipse Web Site

The Feb. 9, 1906, total lunar eclipse belongs to Saros cycle 122, which comprises 74 lunar eclipses displaying similar geometries.

The Friday, Feb. 9, 1906, total lunar eclipse favored North America. Entire visibility was available throughout the continental United States, which comprised, in 1906, 45 states and the three continental territories of Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The territories of Alaska and Hawaii also were included in the path of entire visibility.

The sharing of similar geometries determines membership in a specific Saros cycle. The February 1906 total lunar eclipse's characteristics include its occurrence at the same lunar node, or crossing point of the moon and Earth's orbits, as all other Saros cycle 122 lunar eclipses. All 74 lunar eclipses in Saros cycle 122 occur at the lunar ascending node, which represents the point at which the moon crosses to the north of Earth’s orbit. Each Saros 122 lunar eclipse exhibits a southward movement.

A Saros cycle approximates 6,585.3 days (18 years 11 days 8 hours). Saros 122 specifically endures for 1,316.20 years. Saros 122’s first eclipse occurred as a penumbral eclipse Aug. 14, 1022, near the northern edge of Earth's penumbra. Saros 122’s final eclipse will occur Oct. 29, 2338, as a penumbral eclipse near the penumbra's southern edge.

Saros cycle 122’s 74 lunar eclipses exhibit an order of 22 penumbral eclipses, eight partial eclipses, 28 total eclipses, seven partial eclipses and nine penumbral eclipses. Of the three types of lunar eclipses, penumbral eclipses claim the most frequency, with 31 occurrences, in Saros cycle 122. Total eclipses occupy second place with 28 appearances. A tally of 17 qualifies partial eclipses as the least frequent eclipse type in Saros cycle 122.

The first set of penumbral eclipses opened Saros cycle 122 on Aug. 14, 1022. The 22nd penumbral eclipse closed the first set on March 30, 1401.

The first set of partial lunar eclipses began April 10, 1419. The partial eclipse of June 24, 1545, numbered as eighth in the set and as number 30 in the Saros cycle 122 lineup of 74 lunar eclipses.

The only set of total eclipses in Saros cycle 122 follows the cycle's first set of partial lunar eclipses. The first of the set's 28 total eclipses took place July 5, 1563. The total lunar eclipse of May 6, 2050, will close as the set's 28th total lunar eclipse and as number 58 in the Saros cycle 122 lineup of 74 lunar eclipses.

The Friday, Feb. 9, 1906, total lunar eclipse appeared as the total eclipse set's 20th member and as number 50 in the Saros cycle 122 lineup. The total lunar eclipse of Saturday, Jan. 28, 1888, was the immediate precedessor of the February 1906 total lunar eclipse. The total lunar eclipse of Wednesday, Feb. 20, 1924, succeeded the February 1906 eclipse as the set's 21st member and as number 51 in the Saros cycle 122 lineup.

The second set of partial eclipses in Saros cycle 122 will follow the total eclipse set's closing. The partial lunar eclipse of Thursday, May 17, 2068, which numbers 59 in the Saros cycle 122 lineup, will open the set of seven partial eclipses. The partial lunar eclipse of Sunday, July 21, 2176, will take place as the set's closing eclipse and as number 65 in the Saros cycle 122 lineup.

The second set of penumbral eclipses in Saros cycle 122 serves as the cycle's final set. The first of the set's nine penumbral eclipses happens Saturday, Aug. 2, 2194, as number 66 in the Saros cycle 122 lineup. The set's ninth penumbral eclipse, taking place Saturday, Oct. 29, 2338, will close Saros cycle 122 as the cycle's 74th and last lunar eclipse.

The Feb. 9, 1906, total lunar eclipse's duration of 1 hour 37 minutes 46 seconds does not qualify for the greatest totality phase duration in Saros cycle 122. Retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak’s predictions on NASA’s Eclipse Web Site recognize the cycle's 59th eclipse, the total lunar eclipse of Tuesday, Oct. 11, 1707, as having the greatest totality phase. Saros cycle 122's ninth total eclipse claimed a duration of 1 hour 40 minutes 5 seconds. Saros cycle 122's 31st eclipse, the total lunar eclipse of July 5, 1563, registered the shorted totality phase, with a duration of 23 minutes 22 seconds.

The takeaway for the Feb. 9, 1906, total lunar eclipse is that the event occurs as number 50 in the Saros cycle 122 lineup of 74 eclipses and as number 20 in the cycle's set of 28 total lunar eclipses.

The penumbral lunar eclipse of Oct. 29, 2338, will close Saros Cycle 122 as the 74th and last eclipse in the series: "Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment, Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)," via NASA Eclipse Web Site

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The penumbral lunar eclipse of 1022 Aug 14 opened Saros series 122: "Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment, Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)," via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/1001-1100/LE1022-08-14N.gif

The penumbral lunar eclipse of Oct. 29, 2338, will close Saros Cycle 122 as the 74th and last eclipse in the series: "Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment, Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)," via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/2301-2400/LE2338-10-29N.gif

For further information:

Espenak, Fred. "Penumbral 1022 Aug 14." NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Lunar Eclipse Catalogs: Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series > Lunar Eclipses of Saros Series 1 to 180: Summary of Saros Series 101 to 125: 122 > 01 -38 1022 Aug 14.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/1001-1100/LE1022-08-14N.gif

Espenak, Fred. "Penumbral 2338 Oct 29." NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Lunar Eclipse Catalogs: Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series > Lunar Eclipses of Saros Series 1 to 180: 122 > 74 35 2338 Oct 29.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/2301-2400/LE2338-10-29N.gif

Espenak, Fred. “Saros 122.” EclipseWise Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Lunar Eclipses: 1901-1910 > Total Lunar Eclipse 1906 Feb 9.
Available via EclipseWise @ http://www.eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEsaros/LEsaros122.html

Espenak, Fred. "Saros Series 122." NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaros122.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Joel Stebbins Observed Linné Crater During Feb. 8, 1906, Lunar Eclipse." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/01/joel-stebbins-observed-linne-crater.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Total Lunar Eclipse Feb. 9, 1906, Was First of Two 1906 Lunar Eclipses." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/02/total-lunar-eclipse-feb-9-1906-was.html