A solar saros series is a family of solar eclipses, with each of the individual family members separated by one saros cycle, all members of which share a very similar geometry.

The periodicity and recurrence of solar eclipses is governed by the saros cycle, which is a tool for organizing eclipses into their families. Each family of eclipses lasts between 1200 and 1300 years containing 70 or more events (individual eclipses).

Solar Saros Series are highly predictable and those from 2995 BCE through 4004 CE have been catalogued into 180 separate saros series as follows:

Series 1-116 were saros series from 2955 BCE and ended before 1971 CE.

Series 117-156 are saros series currently in progress.

Series 157-180 are saros series which continue until the year 4004 CE.

For a solar eclipse to occur, the Moon must be located between the Earth and the Sun. This can happen only when the Moon′s phase is New. There are three periodicities related to lunar orbit, the synodic month, the draconic month, and the anomalistic month, each of which have a multiple which coincides nearly perfectly to one saros cycle.

The repeat occurrences of the Moon cycling from one New phase to the next New phase, taking into consideration both the Earth′s solar and the Moon′s lunar orbits, results in producing the Moon′s synodic month, a period of 29.53059 days.

Further, due to the fact that the orbit of the Moon is inclined at 5.14° from the ecliptic plane, this inclination causes the shadow of most New Moons to be cast, not on the Earth, but either above or below the Earth. Thus, total solar eclipses can occur when the three bodies form a nearly straight line, a condition of alignment called syzygy that occurs only when a new Moon is near or in the ecliptic plane. Upon entering the ecliptic plain, the Moon will have entered one of the two orbital nodes, either the ascending node or the descending node. The period for the Moon to make two successive passes through the lunar nodes and then returning to the first node, is termed the draconic month which is a period of 27.21222 days.

Two eclipses separated by one saros cycle have very similar appearance and duration because the distance between the Earth and Moon are nearly the same for each event: this is because the saros cycle is also an integer multiple of the anomalistic month, the period of the eccentricity of lunar orbit. This is also the measurement of the Moon passing through two successive perigees of the Moon′s orbit, a period of 27.5545 days.

The three-dimensional geometry of a solar eclipse, requires the Moon to be in the New phase, and requires the Moon to be at or near one of the lunar orbital nodes, a situation that occurs every five or six months or twice per eclipse year.

Solar eclipses occurring near the Moon′s descending node are given even saros series numbers. The first eclipse of each series starts at the southern limb of the Earth and the eclipse's path is shifted northward with each successive saros.

Solar eclipses occurring near the Moon′s ascending node are given odd saros series numbers. The first eclipse of each series starts at the northern limb of the Earth and the eclipse's path is shifted southward with each successive saros.

One saros cycle after an eclipse, the Sun, Earth and Moon return to a straight line in the same relative geometry and at that time, a nearly identical eclipse will occur.

Thus, a saros cycle is a period of time used for predicting when an eclipse will occur and has a length of 6585.3211 days. Also, a saros cycle does not just predict any eclipse, instead, it identifies intervals between eclipses that are in the same saros series or family. This family of eclipses are all nearly identical in geometry, occur at the same lunar orbital node at nearly the same distance from Earth and at nearly the same time of the year.

The saros cycle length may consist of either:

However, due to the fact that one saros cycle is a period not equal to a whole number of days, this causes subsequent eclipses of the same saros series to be visible from different parts of the Earth

Solar saros series 149 began on 21 August 1661 with a partial eclipse, and will end at event number 71 as a partial eclipse on 28 September 2926. The longest total eclipse will on 17 July 2205 with a durations of 4 minutes and 10 seconds. The most recent eclipse was a partial eclipse on 19 March 2007 (event # 20) and the next will be a partial eclipse on 29 March 2025 (event #21).

On 09 April 2043 (event # 22), the first of the 17 total eclipse will occur. This eclipse may be seen fully from the Kamchatka peninsula and Magadan Oblast in Russia. However, this eclipse may be seen partially from Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska.

Saros cycle series 149 for solar eclipses occurs at the Moon's ascending node, repeating every 18 years and 11 days. This solar saros series contains 71 eclipses, 43 of which are umbral eclipses, including 17 total (events 22-38), 3 hybrid (events 39-41), 23 annular (events 42-64). The remaining 28 eclipses are partial eclipse (events number 1-21 and 65-71).

Solar saros series 145 began on 04 January 1639 with a partial eclipse, and will end at event number 77 as a partial eclipse on 17 April 3009. The longest total eclipse duration will be event number 50 on 25 June 2522 with a duration time of 7 minutes and 12 seconds. The event which occurred on 21 August 2017 was event number 22 and seventh of 40 total eclipse events.

Solar saros series 145 for eclipses occurs at the Moon′s ascending node. It is currently a young cycle producing total eclipses less than three minutes in length and increasing in duration.

Solar Saros series 139 began on 17 May 1501 with a partial eclipse and will end at event number 71 with a partial eclipse on 03 July 2763. The longest total eclipse duration will be event number 39 on 16 July 2186 with a duration time of 7 minutes and 29 seconds. The event that occured on 08 April 2024 was event number 30 and the tenth of 43 total eclipse events.

Solar saros series 139 series occurs at the Moon′s ascending node and is currently producing total eclipses over four minutes long.

Solar saros series 134 began on 29 August 984 with a partial solar eclipse and will end at event 71 with a partial solar eclipse on 06 August 2510. The longest total eclipse duration was event number 11 on 09 October 1426 with a duration time of 1 minute and 30 seconds. The even that occured on 14 October 2023 was event number 44 and will be an Annular eclipse lasting 5 minutes and 17 seconds

Solar saros series 134 occurs at the Moon′s descending node and is currently producing Annular eclipses with a duration of over four minutes long.

Solar saros series 128 began on 29 August 984 CE with a partial eclipse and will end with event 73 with a partial solar eclipse on 01 November 2282. The longest total eclipse duration was event number 27 on 07 June 1453 with a duration of 1 minute and 45 seconds The event that occurred on 20 May 2012 was event number 58 and was an annular eclipse lasting 5 minutes and 46 seconds.

Solar saros series 128 occurs at the Moon′s descending node and is currently producing annular eclipses with a duration of just over five minutes.