The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced the release of a new series of stamps featuring breathtaking space photos taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. This telescope, launched in December 2021, is defined as the most powerful and most advanced space telescope in the world. Using it, astronomers have obtained incredible images that reveal the secrets of distant galaxies and other objects in space.
One of the stamps contains the famous photograph of the Pillars of Creation taken by the MIRI instrument (mid-infrared instrument) on board the James Webb. This region is located in the huge Eagle Nebula and is about 6,500 light-years away from Earth. The image shows the pillars of gas and dust that surround the stars and have been forming for thousands of years.
Another stamp presents an image of the “Cosmic Cliffs” in the Carina Nebula. This image was taken by the NIRCam camera (near-infrared camera) on board the James Webb. This nebula is located about 7,600 light-years from Earth. The photo shows new star nurseries and numerous individual stars, which adds mystery and attractiveness to outer space.
Scientists and astronomers express their admiration for the work of the space telescope and recognize its important contribution to the development of astronomy. Nicola Fox, Assistant administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, noted that “NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is the perfect intersection of science, engineering, and art.” She stresses that the telescope reveals the greatest secrets of our cosmos through the beautiful images it captures.
Fox also noted that a series of stamps with images of the James Webb Telescope allowed people across the country to have their own photo of exciting discoveries in space. These stamps become a kind of business card in the hands of citizens, reminding them of their participation in the revolutionary new era in astronomy.
An important feature of this issue is that this is the second series of stamps issued in honor of the space telescope. The first set was presented in August 2022, almost immediately after NASA released the first images taken by the telescope. This indicates a great public interest in space exploration and advanced technologies that allow us to study the mysteries of the universe. The new series of stamps is becoming not only a collector’s item, but also a means of spreading passion and interest in science.
Earlier, we reported on how the first photo of James Webb was turned into a galactic dress.
According to NASA
Follow us on Twitter to get the most interesting space news in time
https://twitter.com/ust_magazine
