The solar eclipse of 2023 presented a rare opportunity to image an extended periphery of the solar chromosphere
due the moon’s angular size being only marginally larger than the Sun’s. This also revealed the very inner corona
which was remarkably bright compared to the coronal "petals" extending well beyond the Sun.

Several years of planning were required to obtain this image,  
particularly the accommodation and logistics required to move “airline incompatible” equipment via a
12,000km road trip from Sydney, to the Exmouth gulf in remote north Western Australia.
 
Software control of a Canon EOSR5 mirrorless camera was tested prior to the eclipse,
but PC to camera data flow proved to be too slow to adequately record the event. Instead the camera,
which can internally record up to twenty (45 megapixel) frames per second,
was set to a custom exposure mode, recording multiple sequences of bracketed exposures,
as well as frame bursts, triggered via an external intervalometer.
This allowed approximately 500 images to be recorded during the brief 58 seconds of totality. 

Inner corona: Astro-Physics AP155 with 4" Field Flattener

Outer conona: Astro-Physics 92mm Stowaway + FFC

AP155 data resized to match AP92

Astro-Physics Mach2 + Eagle Pier
Canon EOSR5 and EOSRa

Copyright Peter J Ward 2023