Solar eclipse of April 29, 1976

An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Thursday, April 29, 1976, with a magnitude of 0.9421. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. Annularity was visible from North Africa, Greece, Turkey, Middle East, central Asia, India, China. 5 of the 14 eight-thousanders in Pakistan and China—Nanga Parbat, K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I, lie in the path of annularity.

Observation
The Institute of Physics and Institute of Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Xinjiang Earthquake Team conducted observations of gravitational effects using gravimeters, inclinometers, pendulum clocks and seismometers in southwestern Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang near the Karakoram Pass at an altitude of 5500 m. Results showed that the gravitational acceleration had no obvious effect within the accuracy of the instruments. No inclination was recorded on the photosensitive paper of the inclinometer due to the width of its lines. Three inclinations were pen-recorded, whose time and direction were clearly related to that of the eclipse. Due to the difficult conditions with the high altitude, the observation team was unable to obtain more comparative data.

Eclipses in 1976

 * An annular solar eclipse on April 29, 1976.
 * A partial lunar eclipse on May 13, 1976.
 * A total solar eclipse on October 23, 1976.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on November 6, 1976.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 10, 1972
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 16, 1980

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 18, 1969
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 11, 1983

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 24, 1967
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 4, 1985

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 30, 1965
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 29, 1987

Solar Saros 128

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 19, 1958
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 10, 1994

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 20, 1947
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 8, 2005

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 28, 1889
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 28, 2063