Since NASA's James Webb Space Telescope began its mission in 2022, we have seen stunning images of astronomic sights like the Pillars of Creation and the Ring Nebula. To commemorate this powerful telescope, NASA and the U.S. Postal Service have released two commemorative Priority Mail stamps featuring the JWST's most recognizable images.
The first is a Priority Mail Express stamp that includes Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image of the “Cosmic Cliffs” in the Carina Nebula. Although located an incredible 7,600 light-years from Earth, the 2022 photo shared by NASA includes amazing details of stars and stellar nurseries like never seen before. This release is joined by a Priority Mail stamp of the Pillars of Creation, captured by Webb's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). Both mesmerizing and haunting at the same time, this image depicts how stars are formed 6,500 light-years away in the Eagle Nebula.
“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,” says 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.”
You can purchase a sheet of four Pillars of Creation Stamps for $39.40, and a sheet of four Cosmic Cliffs stamps for $121.80 via USPS's website.
NASA and USPS release commemorative stamps of the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula and the Pillars of Creation to commemorate the achievements of the James Webb Space Telescope.
h/t: [Peta Pixel]
