Change in the zodiacal light with solar activity

The disputed influence of solar activity on the zodiacal light is investigated. Observations made in the anti-sun direction from 1964 to 1978 show a rapid decrease in the brightness between 1967 and 1968, followed by a very slow increase during the decreasing phase of the solar activity; this slow increase of the Gegenschein brightness is stopped by a weak secondary minimum in 1974. This Gegenschein has a behavior similar to that of the eclipsed moon observed in previous studies. The green corona, whose behavior is opposite to that of the Gegenschein, is apparently coupled with the zodiacal light and the eclipsed moon; this effect is due to the solar wind and both phenomena are related to the polar coronal holes. It is shown that the change in Gegenschein brightness is strongly correlated with the boundary of the southern coronal hole until 1968, with a secondary maximum in 1972. Under the solar wind effect, the fluorescence of the dust is added to the scattered light to produce the change in the zodiacal light.