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New stamps go into orbit

New stamps go into orbit

Wednesday 22 April 2015

New stamps go into orbit

Wednesday 22 April 2015


Most of us missed last month’s solar eclipse but you can now get a good look at the stars, planets and galaxies even when your postie delivers on a cloudy day.

It’s 25 years since NASA first launched the Hubble Space Telescope into space and images from it are now starring in Jersey Post’s new set of stamps.

It’s one of NASA’s most successful missions ever and still provides data for thousands of astronomers around the world.

Jersey Post’s Head of Philatelic Melanie Gouzinis said: “The images and observations recorded and beamed back to Earth by Hubble are absolutely mesmerising. By orbiting outside the distortion of the Earth’s atmosphere, it is able to capture images with almost no background light, making them the most visible images of space ever.”

Hubble’s release into low Earth orbit opened a new chapter in our understanding of space and since 24 April 1990 it has provided over one million observations, noted 38,000 celestial targets and has circled Earth more than three billion times, travelling at a speed of 17,500 mph.

Mrs Gouzinis said: “Hubble has transformed the way scientists look at the universe. Its 25th anniversary is a significant milestone and we are delighted to commemorate it with this new set of stamps.”

The stamps, which are accompanied by a miniature sheet featuring the telescope itself, are available from all branches of Jersey Post from 24 April.

Hubble_Miniature_Sheet.jpg

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