The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled two new Priority Mail stamps, showcasing captivating images captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The stamps, issued on January 22, feature stunning cosmic scenes that highlight the telescope's groundbreaking discoveries since it began its science mission in 2022.

Greg Breeding, an art director for the U.S. Postal Service, designed the stamps using images provided by NASA, ESA, CSA, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. These images were taken by Webb's two instruments, including the MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), which was built and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

One of the stamps, a Priority Mail Express stamp, displays Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image of the "Cosmic Cliffs" found within the Carina Nebula, situated approximately 7,600 light-years away. This image, released in July 2022, demonstrates Webb's ability to peer through cosmic dust and reveal previously hidden stellar nurseries and individual stars, shedding new light on the process of star formation.

The other stamp, a Priority Mail stamp, features an awe-inspiring image known as "Pillars of Creation," captured by Webb's MIRI instrument. This iconic landscape, made famous by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, showcases gas and dust-filled pillars enshrouding stars in the Eagle Nebula, located 6,500 light-years from Earth.

Joining the Forever stamp released in 2022, which portrayed an artist's digital illustration of Webb against a backdrop of stars, these new stamps recognize the remarkable achievements of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope as it continues to explore the unknown and unravel the mysteries of our universe.

The James Webb Space Telescope, the largest, most powerful, and complex telescope ever launched into space, is a joint mission led by NASA in partnership with ESA and CSA. It has already provided unprecedented views of distant galaxies, stars, and black holes, solved mysteries about the early universe, and enhanced our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres.

Nicola Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, stated, "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." The release of these stamps allows people across the country to have their own snapshot of Webb's captivating images and be part of this ground-breaking new era in astronomy.

The development of Webb's MIRI instrument was a collaborative effort between NASA and ESA, with NASA's JPL leading the U.S. efforts and a consortium of European astronomical institutes contributing for ESA. The cryocooler development for MIRI was managed by JPL, working in collaboration with Northrop Grumman and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

The James Webb Space Telescope, hailed as the world's premier space observatory, continues to unravel the mysteries of our solar system, study distant worlds, and explore the origins and structures of the universe. Managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the mission involves several NASA centers, including Johnson Space Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Ames Research Center.

These stamps serve as a tribute to Webb's numerous accomplishments and offer a glimpse of the incredible science unfolding as humanity explores the vast cosmos. To learn more about Webb and its remarkable journey, visit the official website dedicated to the telescope.