Rocket Observations of the Ultraviolet Solar Spectrum during the Total Eclipse of 1970 March 7

Abstract

A sequence of thirty-five ultraviolet photographic spectra of the Sun has been obtained in the wavelength region 850-2190 A, as a function of time during the eclipse. These cover the range from before second contact until midtotality, with a spatial resolution of the order 2 arc sec. A general description of the experiment and data is given. Twenty-five new coronal lines have been seen, the majority of which have been identified as new forbidden transitions. The La corona is observed out to over 1.5 R0, and a quantitative interpretation is presented. Analyses of other features-e.g., prominences, quiet-atmosphere structure, and coronal condensations-are continuing.