Prime Factorization Links Saros and Metonic Cycles in Ancient Eclipse Prediction — E8 Intelligence Research
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: FINDING: The Saros cycle (223 synodic months) and Metonic cycle (235 synodic months) are the twin pillars of ancient eclipse prediction, interlocking via prime factorization to create a 18.03-year recurrence window. | MATH: Saros = 223 synodic months ≈ 6585.321 days (18 yr 11 d 8 h); Metonic = 235 synodic months ≈ 6939.688 days (19 tropical years). Prime factorizations: 223 = prime; 235 = 5 × 47. Ratio 235/223 ≈ 1.0538. Saros contains 242 draconic months (eclipse node return) and 239 anomalistic months (Moon's perigee return) — the near-integer triple lock (223, 242, 239) is what makes eclipse geometry repeat. | CONNECTION: The 223/235 interlock yields a beat period: 1/(1/223 − 1/235) ≈ 1/(0.004484 − 0.004255) ≈ 4366 synodic months ≈ 354 years — a "grand Saros" cycle. This is a near-commensurability structure, analogous to crystallographic coincidence site lattices (CSL) where two periodic lattices overlap at rational fractions. The 0.618 golden ratio appears nowhere directly, but the Author: Andrew Stewart Caldin, Independent Researcher, UK. Part of the E8 Intelligence Research series. Platform: e8intelligence.com
Author: Caldin, Andrew Stewart
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7212319705
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