Solar corona is the outermost part of the solar atmosphere. Coronal activities influence space environment between the Sun and the Earth, space weather and the Earth itself. The total solar eclipse (TSE) is the best opportunity to observe the solar corona on ground. During the TSE 2008, a series of images of the corona and partial eclipse of solar disk were obtained using telescope and CCD camera. After image processing, preliminary results of coronal structure are given, and radial brightness profiles of the corona in directions of pole and equator of the Sun are measured. Though in solar activity minimum, the shape and structure of the corona are not symmetry. The equatorial regions are more extent than the polar one, and there are also larger differences between the east and west equatorial regions and between the south and north polar regions. Coronal streamers on east side of the equator, particularly the largest one in east-south direction, are very obvious. The coronal plume in south polar region consists of more polar rays than that in north polar region. These structures are also shown in other observations and data of SOHO. The radial brightness profiles in directions of pole and equator are similar to those of the Van de Hulst model in solar minimum, but there are a few differences due to coronal activity, which is shown in the isophote map of the corona.
We consider the instability of the cometary plasma tail which is composed of a neutral sheet,two lobes of the ion tail and solar wind.The plasma is assumed to be highly conductive and incompressible.The unstable state yields a magnetic field which is perpendicular to the tail axis.Our result is consistent with findings about plasma from the International Cometary Explorer(ICE).
Interior to Mercury's orbit is a dynamically stable region where a population of small, asteroid-like bodies called Vulcanoids has been hypothesized to reside. The Vulcanoid Zone (VZ) extends inward from about 0.18 au to about 0.08 au. During the Total Solar Eclipse (TSE) in 2008, a search for Vulcanoids was completed. Although no Vulcanoids was detected to a moving object detection limit of V=12.8, the search was far more comprehensive than previous searches.
