New U.S. Priority Mail stamps to picture Crab Nebula, galaxy pair

By Charles Snee

The United States Postal Service announced Dec. 12 that it will issue a Priority Mail stamp illustrating the Crab Nebula and a Priority Mail Express stamp picturing a galaxy pair.

The USPS said both stamps will be issued at a date to be determined in Kansas City, Mo., without an official first-day ceremony.

As shown on the preliminary images provided by the USPS, the designs do not specify a denomination.

However, based on new rates for shipping services set to go into effect Jan. 18, the new Crab Nebula Priority Mail stamp will carry a denomination of $11.95, and the new Galaxy Pair Priority Mail Express stamp will be denominated $33.25.

Both issues, which feature photos taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, will be the latest additions to the Stellar Formations series of Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps that began in 2024.

“One of the most frequently observed celestial bodies, the Crab Nebula is one of the brightest remnants of an exploded star in the night sky,” the Postal Service said. “Located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus, Webb captured this new Crab Nebula image in vivid infrared detail revealing previously unseen features that contribute to our broader understanding of stellar life cycles.”

According to the USPS, the Galaxy Pair Priority Mail Express stamp features a composite image of two galaxies, IC 2163 and NGC 2207, that are roughly 80 million light-years from Earth.

Both stamps were designed by USPS art director Greg Breeding using photos supplied by NASA.

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