sentences:  In addition, because the saros is close to 18 years in length (about 11 days longer), the Earth will be nearly the same distance from the Sun, and tilted to it in nearly the same orientation (same season).Given the date of an eclipse, one saros later a nearly identical eclipse can be predicted.During this 18-year period, about 40 other solar and lunar eclipses take place, but with a somewhat different geometry.