Polarimetric Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Corona from 400 to 2000 nm during the Total Solar Eclipse of 29 March 2006

Total solar eclipses continue to offer unique opportunities for exploring the solar corona, in particular for validating new concepts, and testing new instrumentation. We report on the results of the observations taken during the total solar eclipse of 29 March 2006. The eclipse was observed from Waw AnNamous, Libya, under perfect seeing conditions. A complement of imaging and spectroscopic polarization measurements, covering the wavelength range from 400 to 2000 nm, were used. Among the highlights of the observations were the unexpected radial extent of the emission from the Fe XI 789.2 nm spectral line, which has proven to have significant potential for future coronagraphic measurements, and the appearance of presently unidentified spectral lines in the visible and near infrared part of the spectrum. The implications of these results for the coronal magnetic field, and the near-Sun dust environment will be discussed