Polarization of the corona during the maximum of the solar cycle

The preliminary results of measuring the polarization of the white-light corona, carried out during the 16 Feb 1980 solar eclipse, are presented. The degree of polarization was observed to be relatively high all round the sun, with the exception of a coronal hole near the south pole. Together with well-expressed streams, high degrees of polarization were observed in the narrow ray at P = 210° and also in the broad region P = 310°–350°. A possible non-homogeneous model of the white-light corona for the period of the solar maximum is discussed.