— Two expansive swaths of the universe have been shrunk down to the size of a postage stamp — to serve as just that.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has released new Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps featuring nebula and galaxies captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (Webb).

"The two stamps celebrate America's continued exploration of deep space with extremely high-definition images captured by Webb, which has been revolutionizing our understanding of space since its launch in 2021," the USPS stated in a release issued Tuesday (Feb. 24). "More than just a functional piece of postage, these stamps serve as a reminder of our endless curiosity and our drive to explore the unknown."

"Whether purchased by space enthusiasts, stamp collectors or casual letter writers, these stamps bring the wonders of the universe a little closer to home."

The $11.95 Priority Mail stamp features the Crab Nebula, one of the brightest remnants of an exploded star in the night sky and one of the most frequently observed celestial bodies. Located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus, the Crab Nebula was captured by the Webb in the infrared, revealing previously unseen features that contribute to our broader understanding of stellar life cycles.

The $33.25 Priority Mail Express "Galaxy Pair" stamp reproduces a composite image assembled from Webb and Hubble Space Telescope infrared, visible and ultraviolet views of two interacting galaxies, IC 2163 and NGC 2207, located approximately 80 million light-years from Earth, The "Galaxy Pair" depicts the smaller spiral IC 2163 passing behind NGC 2207, the galaxy at right, millions of years ago.

UISPS art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps, using Webb photos that were made available by NASA. Tuesday marked the formal first of day issue for both stamps with Kansas City, Missouri serving as the city of issue (though a first day of issue ceremony was not held).

The Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps are now available in panes of four stamps each.

To commemorate the release, the postal service has prepared first day covers affixed with either the Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express stamps and postmarked in Kansas City, Missouri with Tuesday's date. There are two different cancellation devices: a standard circular date ink stamp with four "killer bars" and a digital color postmark in either light and dark blue for "Crab Nebula" or orange and black for "Galaxy Pair."

The first day of issue (black ink) covers cost $12.53 for Priority Mail and $33.83 for Priority Mail Express. The digital color covers are $13.38 and $34.68, respectively.

First day postmarks are also available for no more than a cost of a stamp (or two). The public has until June 24 to buy and affix the "Crab Nebula" or "Galaxy Pair" stamps (or both together) to an envelope or envelopes, self-address or address it to others and then mail it (them) inside a larger envelope to:

After applying the first day of issue postmark, the USPS will return the envelope through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50, after which it is 5 cents per additional postmark.

Collectors and the public can also send stamped envelopes and postcards without addresses for postmark, so long as they supply a larger self-addressed envelope with adequate postage. After applying the postmark, the post office will return the covers (with or without addresses) in the addressed larger envelope.

The 2024 and 2025 Priority Mail and Priority Express Mail stamps also featured Webb Space Telescope images, including an infrared version of the "Pillars of Creation," one of the observatory's first targets. The Webb was also the subject of a 2022 Forever stamp that featured an rendering of the telescope in deep space.