CFHT eclipse observation of the very fine-scale solar corona

At the July 11, 1991 solar total eclipse, a modem large optical telescope (CFHT) was used to probe the solar corona. The best possible pictures were obtained with the CFHT, using fast imaging techniques and post-facto image selection and processing. Several cameras were run during totality to acquire sub-arcsec spatial resolution white-light images, with both narrow-band and broad-band filters. The setup and the observing procedure are described. Preliminary results, together with an evaluation of the merits of the experiment, are given, as well as a sample of images. Fine-scale coronal features were observed for the first time in a time series, confirming the importance of plasmoid-like activity in the inner corona. The observation of the smallest coronal feature ever reported is analyzed, giving a typical cross-section of 0.4 ± 0.1 arcsec