AJ wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 8:34 am

Juli wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 12:24 am ... I'm looking for the origin of the SS N° N/S system.

Hi Juli,

The first reference to this eclipse family numbering system that I, like yourself and many others here, encountered is Robert Carl Jansky’s Interpreting the Eclipses, published by Astro Computing Services in 1979. Bernadette Brady later expanded on it in The Eagle and the Lark, published by Samuel Weiser Inc. in 1992.

As I recall, Jansky doesn’t explicitly explain or cite the origin of the system he uses within the text, nor does he claim to have invented it. Yet for all I know he may have. The key to tracing its origin might lie in Jansky’s bibliography, but tracking down the exact reference would require considerable effort, as many of the sources he lists are likely out of print. If you're inclined to pursue this, I would suggest looking through his bibliography for clues. I am assuming you have a copy.

To research these old books, reach out to astrological libraries that maintain collections of rare and out-of-print texts. One starting point could be the Caeli Institute, where Dr. Jenn Zahrt is the executive director: [https://caeli.institute](https://caeli.institute).

While much of this may be familiar to you, I mention it for the benefit of the forum readers.
Van den Bergh’s system, as detailed in his 1955 publication *Periodicity and Variation of Solar (and Lunar) Eclipses*, revolutionized eclipse cataloging by grouping eclipses into families based on physical characteristics, moving beyond the traditional Saros cycle. His Eclipse Canon system introduced a more refined method for tracking eclipses and their variations over time.

Omphalos wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 7:35 pm https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEcat5/SE1701-1800.html)
The replies to Juli's inquiry were informative reading and after AJ's reply, I thought to look for a copy of The Canon of Eclipses (1887) by von Oppolzer.


Error - Canon of Eclipses - von Oppolzer - Brady - Saros.jpg