Millions of postcards, letters, and packages across the US will soon be adorned with celestial wonders captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Two new Priority and Priority Express-rate postage stamps, unveiled on January 22nd by the US Postal Service (USPS), showcase breathtaking views of the "Pillars of Creation" and "Cosmic Cliffs," revealing cosmic landscapes sculpted by newborn stars millions of light-years away.
"NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is the perfect intersection of science, engineering, and art as it reveals the greatest secrets of our cosmos through the beautiful images it captures," said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
"With these stamps, people across the country can have their own snapshot of Webb's captivating images - and the incredible science they represent - at their fingertips, and know that they, too, are part of this ground-breaking new era in astronomy."
According to the NASA, the first of the new stamps, a Priority Mail Express stamp, features Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image of the "Cosmic Cliffs" in the Carina Nebula, located roughly 7,600 light-years away. The image shows emerging stellar nurseries and individual stars that were previously hidden from sight. This scene was one of the first full-color images revealed from Webb in July 2022, demonstrating the telescope's ability to peer through cosmic dust and shed new light on how stars form.
The other stamp, a Priority Mail stamp, features an image of the Pillars of Creation captured by Webb's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). Webb's look at this familiar landscape, which was first made famous by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, shows pillars flush with gas and dust, enshrouding stars that are slowly forming over many millennia. The Pillars of Creation is set within the vast Eagle Nebula, which lies 6,500 light-years away.
This isn't the first time the USPS has celebrated our cosmic pursuits. In 2022, a Forever stamp featuring the Webb Telescope itself adorned envelopes, sparking public interest in this marvel of engineering. These latest stamps continue that tradition, showcasing the awe-inspiring discoveries made possible by this powerful observatory.
