Observations of the Solar Corona from Space

Abstract

Space observations of the atmosphere of the Sun, obtained in half a century of dedicated space missions, provide a well established picture of the medium and large-scale solar corona, which is highly variable with the level of solar activity through a solar cycle and evolves with the long-term evolution of the magnetic cycles. In this review, we summarize the physical properties and dynamics of the medium and large-scale corona, consisting primarily of active regions, streamers and coronal holes; describe the dependence of coronal patterns on the magnetic field patterns changing through the solar cycle and the properties of the regions of open magnetic flux channeling the solar wind; the ubiquitous presence of fluctuations in the outer corona; the rotational properties of the large-scale corona; and the persistent hemispheric asymmetries in the emergence of magnetic fields and the distribution of the coronal emission.