Human WorldSun

Check out these new Sun Science stamps!

10 postage stamps each with a different-colored closeup of the sun showing spots and flares.
View larger. | The striking colors do not represent the actual colors of the sun as perceived by human eyesight. Instead, each image is colorized by NASA according to different wavelengths that reveal or highlight specific features of the sun’s activity. Image via NASA/ SDO/ USPS.

Whether you’re a stamp collector, or just someone who wants to add some dazzle to your mail, here’s some good news for you: The United States Postal Service announced on January 15, 2021, that they’ll be releasing a series of Sun Science forever stamps highlighting images of the sun. The stamps will be issued sometime in 2021, the USPS said, and they’ll announce additional details, including the exact issue date, later.

The new 20-stamp set features 10 images of solar activity captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), a spacecraft launched in February 2010 to keep constant watch on the our nearest star.

According to a NASA statement:

The images display common events on the sun, such as solar flares, sunspots and coronal loops. SDO has kept a constant eye on the sun for over a decade. Outfitted with equipment to capture images of the sun in multiple wavelengths of visible, ultraviolet, and extreme ultraviolet light, SDO has gathered hundreds of millions of images during its tenure to help scientists learn about how our star works and how its constantly churning magnetic fields create the solar activity we see.

Bottom line: In 2021, the U.S. Postal Service announced that it will be releasing a series of stamps highlighting images of the sun captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Via NASA

EarthSky lunar calendars are back in stock! We’re guaranteed to sell out. Get one while you can!

Posted 
January 19, 2021
 in 
Human World

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