Saros
/ˈsɑːrɒs/noun
A period of about 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours after which eclipses tend to repeat in a similar pattern.
Did you know?The term became famous in astronomy through Babylonian eclipse cycles, but the word itself was later popularized from a misleading ancient source, giving it an almost mystical second life.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σάρος
“A word reported in later sources, probably meaning a cycle or repetition; its exact ancient sense is uncertain.”
19th Century
English
saros
“Adopted in astronomy as a technical term for the eclipse-repetition cycle.”
Modern English
English
saros
“The eclipse cycle used to predict when nearly similar eclipses recur.”
Babylonian astronomy
Akkadian
šár
“A numeral meaning 3,600, later associated by scholars with the cycle name through historical confusion and reconstruction.”