Observations of the Polarized Solar Corona During the Annular Eclipse of October 14, 2023

Abstract

We present results of a dual eclipse expedition to observe the solar corona from two sites during the annular solar eclipse of 2023 October 14, using a novel coronagraph designed to be accessible for amateurs and students to build and deploy. The coronagraph CATEcor builds on the standardized eclipse observing equipment developed for the Citizen CATE 2024 experiment. The observing sites were selected for likelihood of clear observations, for historic relevance (near the Climax site in the Colorado Rocky Mountains), and for centrality to the annular eclipse path (atop Sandia Peak above Albuquerque, New Mexico). The novel portion of CATEcor is an external occulter assembly that slips over the front of a conventional dioptric telescope, forming a \textit{shaded-truss} externally occulted coronagraph. CATEcor is specifically designed to be easily constructed in a garage or ''makerspace'' environment. We successfully observed the solar corona to an altitude of approximately 2.25 RSun during the annular phases of the eclipse.