This photograph of the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, was taken in General Santos City, Philippines, by a research team from the National Center for Atmospheric Research's High Altitude Observatory during a total solar eclipse on 18 March 1988. It was taken with a special camera designed by Gordon Newkirk of NCAR. The corona, much dimmer than the sun itself, can only be seen when the disk of the sun is covered, as it is during a total eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and sun. The sun is much larger than the moon, but it is also much farther from the earth--so much farther that the sun and moon appear to be virtually the same size in our sky. When the moon covers the sun's disk almost exactly during a total solar eclipse, the corona springs into view. This photo shows details of its structure, from its innermost part to its outer region.
