New insights into the complexity of the source regions of the solar wind (Invited)

White light and spectral line images of the corona taken during total solar eclipses are continuing to yield novel insights into the magnetic complexity and the plasma properties of the source and acceleration regions of the solar wind. These observations remain unique, as they are, at present, the only observations to span a few solar radii, starting from the solar surface. This distance range is where the evolution of the coronal magnetic field is most pronounced, and where the plasma parameters have the steepest radial and azimuthal gradients. An overview of the uniqueness of these eclipse observations will be presented, with particular emphasis on the role of prominences and associated instabilities in the slow solar wind.