17th century map of the Sun

A beautifully illustrated map of the Sun by Athanasius Kircher. This early scientific illustration is one of the first to depict sunspot activity. The plate was published in the 'Mundus Suberraeneus' by Athanasius Kircher (1602-80), who was a German Jesuit polymath based in Rome and one of the most prolific and widely read scholars of the 17th century. His works span cartography, geology, Egyptology, cosmology, and natural philosophy, combining scientific observation with imaginative synthesis. Best known for books such as Mundus Subterraneus and China Illustrata, Kircher’s publications are distinguished by their elaborate engraved maps and diagrams, including depictions of volcanoes, the interior of the earth, and the ancient world.