US Postal Service begins orders for Webb Space Telescope stamp

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is giving the public a month to get ready for the release of its James Webb Space Telescope stamp.

The Forever-denomination stamp, which features an artist's depiction of the next-generation astronomical observatory, is now available for pre-order through the USPS website. The public can also sign up to attend a first-day-of-issue ceremony scheduled for Sept. 8 in Washington, D.C.

"With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the James Webb Space Telescope," officials wrote on the USPS website. "The largest and most sensitive telescope ever deployed in space, [it is] capable of peering directly into the early cosmos and to the limits of the known universe."

Gallery: James Webb Space Telescope's 1st photos
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Named after the former NASA administrator who championed the importance of science during the Apollo moon landings, the Webb Space Telescope orbits the sun about a million miles away (1.5 million km) from Earth. Its first science images revealed some of the earliest galaxies ever seen, as well as the presence of the water in an exoplanet's atmosphere.

"Webb will provide views of the universe in its infancy, including galaxies during their formation. The telescope may identify planets with conditions advantageous for supporting life as we know it," the USPS website reads.

As a Forever stamp, the James Webb Space Telescope commemorative will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce (28 grams) price. On its first day of issue, the stamp will sell for 60 cents, or $12 per sheet of 20.

The image on the stamp is based on artist James Vaughan's digitally created depiction of Webb set against a starscape. The selvage image — the border surrounding the stamps on a sheet — is of a star and distant space that was captured by the telescope early in its mission, confirming the perfect alignment of the telescope's 18 gold-coated mirror segments.

In addition to taking orders for the stamp, the USPS is also now offering two different envelopes stamped and postmarked for the first day of issue. Referred to as "first day covers" by philatelists, the two collectibles include either the official first-day-of-issue ink postmark or a digital color postmark.

Both cancellations feature the stamp's name and the details of its issuance, as well as a hexagonal pattern representing Webb's 21-foot-wide (6.4 meters) primary mirror. The digital color postmark fills the design with the "colors of the cosmos."

The James Webb Space Telescope first day cover retails for $1.15 each. The digital color postmark lists for $2.00 each.

Additional philatelic products and collectibles featuring the James Webb Space Telescope are expected when the stamp is released.

The Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. will host the official first day of issue ceremony for the James Webb Space Telescope stamp. Anton Hajjar, vice chairman of the USPS Board of Governors, will preside over the event, which will begin at 11:00 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) on Sept. 8.

The ceremony is free and open to the public. Those planning to attend are invited to register their intent through the USPS website.

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