The U.S. Postal Service has introduced two new stamps showcasing stunning images captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Released on January 21, these stamps feature a galaxy and a star cluster seen through Webb’s powerful infrared lenses. This mission is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
According to Nicky Fox, the associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, “The James Webb Space Telescope turns science into art as it consistently captures exceptional images of deep space that provide a wealth of scientific data to be analyzed for years. NASA Science impacts everyone, and these breathtaking images allow the American people to have a piece of space. I’m thrilled this year’s featured image includes one of my favorites, the spiral galaxy NGC 628, and both stamps take us on a remarkable journey through cosmic history from one mailbox to another.”
Launched in December 2021, Webb continues to offer highly detailed images of nearby galaxies, furthering our comprehension of star formation and galaxy evolution. One of the new stamps, designated as a Priority Mail stamp, showcases Webb’s depiction of the spiral galaxy NGC 628. This image, which utilizes near- and mid-infrared light, highlights the glowing gas and dust in vivid orange and red, along with intricate spiral patterns. This galaxy is located 32 million light-years away in the Pisces constellation.
The second stamp, a Priority Mail Express stamp, presents Webb’s image of the central area of the star cluster IC 348 in near-infrared light. The image is filled with interstellar material reflecting the cluster’s starlight, forming what is known as a reflection nebula. This cluster resides 1,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Perseus.
The stamps honor Webb’s ongoing mission to explore the unknown, unveiling the earliest galaxies, stars, and black holes; solving mysteries about the early universe; offering insights into the atmospheres of exoplanets; and providing new perspectives on our own cosmic neighborhood. These new stamps complement those issued in 2022 and 2024 to celebrate Webb’s accomplishments.
The James Webb Space Telescope is a leading space observatory for infrared science, deciphering mysteries within our solar system and beyond. It is an international initiative led by NASA, ESA, and CSA. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the Webb mission and works alongside partners including the Space Telescope Science Institute and Northrop Grumman, among other collaborators across various NASA centers.
