  Polar coronal plumes seen during solar eclipses can now be studied with
space-borne telescopes and spectrometers. We briefly discuss such observations
from space with a view to understanding their plasma characteristics. Using
these observations, especially from SUMER/SOHO, but also from EUVI/STEREO, we
deduce densities, temperatures, and abundance anomalies in plumes and
inter-plume regions, and discuss their implications for better understanding of
these structures in the Sun's atmosphere.
