Solar chromosphere in the D3 helium line from spectra of the eclipse of March 29, 2006

We present the processing results of slitless chromospheric spectra in a D3 helium line obtained during the solar eclipse of March 29, 2006. A “Cascade-Photometrics 650” CCD matrix photodetector with a rate of 16 frames/s was used for the observations. Altitude distribution of absolute brightness of the helium chromosphere has been mapped in a latitude interval 30 N-10 S on the western limb. A correlation between absolute brightness of the helium chromosphere and a solar cycle phase has been confirmed. It has been revealed that the altitude distribution of helium emission has one maximum at an altitude of approximately 2000 km. In the lower chromosphere, helium emission is undetectable. This confirms our assumption about absence of an additional maximum at 300 km in the D3 line brightness distribution in the chromosphere during sunspot maximum periods. The results also prove that X-ray coronal radiation with λ < 6 nm is the source of helium excitation in the lower chromosphere.