Zonnevlekken op het oppervlak van de zon before 1877

This is a photograph of sunspots on the sun's surface by Jules Cesar Janssen. Here, the sun, a universal symbol of life and energy, is blemished with sunspots, a stark contrast to its usual unblemished, divine representation. Across cultures, the sun embodies power and constancy. Yet, Janssen's image introduces a rupture, a vulnerability to the celestial icon. Think of ancient sun gods, like Ra in Egypt, whose daily journey across the sky was unyielding. Now, we see a sun marked by change. These spots, scientifically explained, tap into an older, visceral fear: the sun, our giver of life, is not immutable. Consider how solar eclipses were once harbingers of doom. Janssen's sunspots, though natural, echo that primal anxiety. They remind us that even the most potent symbols are subject to time and transformation, constantly evolving in our collective psyche.