Editing Saros (astronomy) (section)

== History ==
The earliest discovered historical record of what is known as the saros is by [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Chaldean]] [[Babylonian astronomy|(neo-Babylonian) astronomers]] in the last several centuries BCE.<ref>Tablets 1414, 1415, 1416, 1417, 1419 of: T. G. Pinches, J. N. Strassmaier: Late Babylonian Astronomical and Related Texts. A. J. Sachs (ed.), Brown University Press 1955</ref><ref>A. J. Sachs & H. Hunger (1987–1996): Astronomical Diaries and Related Texts from Babylonia, Vol.I–III. Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. ''ibid.'' H. Hunger (2001) Vol. V: Lunar and Planetary Texts</ref><ref>P. J. Huber & S. de Meis (2004): Babylonian Eclipse Observations from 750 BC to 1 BC, par. 1.1. IsIAO/Mimesis, Milano</ref> It was later known to [[Hipparchus]], [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]]<ref>[[Pliny's Natural History|Naturalis Historia]] II.10[56]</ref> and [[Ptolemy]].<ref>[[Almagest]] IV.2</ref>

The name "saros" ({{langx|el|σάρος}}) was applied to the eclipse cycle by [[Edmond Halley]] in 1686,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Halley |first1=E. |title=Emendationes & Notae in tria loca vitiose edita in textu vulgato Naturalis Historiae C. Plinii |journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London |date=1686 |volume=17 |issue=194 |pages=535–540 |doi=10.1098/rstl.1686.0101 |s2cid=186208699 |url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rstl.1686.0101 |trans-title=Corrections and notes on three badly edited passages in a common edition of C. Pliny's Natural History |language=Latin}} From p. 537:  ''"Secundo loco annotare libet hanc Periodum Chaldaeis olim Astronomiae repertoribus ''Saron'' dici, … "''  (In the second passage, it is pleasing to note [that] this period was called "Saron" by Chaldean authors of astronomy, … )  ''" … Sari mensura & numerus apud Chaldaeos, etenim 120 Sari constituunt annos 2222 juxta Chaldaeorum calculum, nempe ''Saros'' constat ex 222 mensibus Lunaribus, qui sunt 18 Anni cum sex mensibus."'' ( … the Sari [was] a measure and number in the writings of the Chaldeans, as a matter of fact 120 Sari constitute 2,222 years according to the Chaldeans' calculation; indeed a ''Saros'' consists of 222 lunar months, which are 18 years and 6 months.)</ref> who took it from the ''[[Suda]]'', a [[Byzantine]] lexicon of the 11th century. The Suda says, "[The saros is] a measure and a number among [[Chaldea]]ns. For 120 saroi make 2220 years (years of 12 lunar months) according to the Chaldeans' reckoning, if indeed the saros makes 222 lunar months, which are 18 years and 6 months (i.e. years of 12 lunar months)."<ref>The Suda entry is online [http://www.stoa.org/sol-entries/sigma/148 here].</ref> The information in the ''Suda'' in turn was derived directly or otherwise from the ''Chronicle'' of [[Eusebius of Caesarea]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eusebius: Chronicle (4) - translation |url=https://www.attalus.org/translate/eusebius4.html#7 |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.attalus.org}}</ref> which quoted [[Berossus]]. ([[Guillaume Le Gentil]] claimed that Halley's usage was incorrect in 1756,<ref>Le Gentil's criticism of Halley's use of the term "Saros" appeared in two places in the 1756 volume of ''Histoire de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, avec les mémoires de mathématique et de physique'':
* in the ''Histoire'' section:  {{cite journal |last1=(Staff) |title=Sur le Saros Chaldaïque |journal=Histoire de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, avec les mémoires de mathématique et de physique |date=1756 |pages=80–90 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/88650#page/92/mode/1up |trans-title=On the Chaldean Saros |language=French}} From p. 81:  ''"M. le Gentil convient avec M. Halley de l'utilité de cette période, mais il ne convient pas de même de son exactitude, ni que ce soit effectivement celle que les Chaldéens connoissoient sous le nom de ''Saros''."''  (Mr. le Gentil agrees with Mr. Halley about the usefulness of this period [i.e., 223 years], but he doesn't agree about its accuracy, nor that it is really what the Chaldeans knew by the name of "Saros".)
* in the ''Mémoires'' section:  {{cite journal |last1=le Gentil |title=Remarques sur un mémoire de M Halley, inséré dans les Transactions philosophiques de l'année 1692, No. 194, page 535, dans lequel M. Halley parlé du Saros des Chaldéens |journal=Histoire de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, avec les mémoires de mathématique et de physique |date=1756 |pages=55–81 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/88650#page/225/mode/1up |trans-title=Remarks on a memoir of Mr. Halley, inserted in the Philosophical Transactions of the year 1692, issue 194, p. 535, in which Mr. Halley speaks about the Saros of the Chaldeans |language=French}}</ref> but the name continues to be used.) The Greek word apparently either comes from the Babylonian word ''sāru'' meaning the number 3600<ref>{{cite web|title=saros|url=http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861701384/saros.html|website=Encarta Dictionary|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608102859/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861701384/saros.html|archive-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref> or the Greek verb ''saro'' (σαρῶ) that means "sweep (the sky with the series of eclipses)".<ref>Liddell H G, Scott R., Jones H S, McKenzie, R, 1843, Oxford University Press</ref>

[[File:Manual2021-X MOUSSAS SAROS.jpg|thumb|[[Antikythera Mechanism]] Saros cycle for the prediction of eclipses ΣΚΓ′, in the red rectangle, and means 223 months. Written between 150 and 100 BCE]]

The Saros period of 223 lunar months (in [[Greek numerals]], ΣΚΓ′) is in the [[Antikythera Mechanism]]  user manual on this instrument, made around 150 to 100 BCE in Greece, as seen in the picture. This number is one of a few inscriptions of the mechanism that are visible with the unaided eye.<ref>Freeth, T., Bitsakis, Y., Moussas, X., Seiradakis, J. H., Tselikas, A., Mangou, H., ... & Edmunds, M. G. (2006). Decoding the ancient Greek astronomical calculator known as the Antikythera Mechanism. Nature, 444(7119), 587-591</ref><ref>[http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/Decoding_an_Ancient_Computer.pdf Decoding an Ancient Computer], Scientific American, December 2009</ref> Above it, the period of the [[Metonic cycle]] and the [[Callippic cycle]] are also visible.