Late Change

The first-day ceremony has been moved. See the June 17th entry below.

Announced on January 15th:

These 10 new stamps in a pane of 20 highlight stunning images of the sun that celebrate the science behind the ongoing exploration of our nearest star. 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. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps with digital images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, a spacecraft launched in February 2010 to keep constant watch on the sun from geosynchronous orbit over the craft’s ground station in New Mexico.

Additional information will appear below the line, with the latest at the top

Updated August 2nd:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:

5598 Coronal Hole
a. Imperforate
5599 Coronal Loops
a. Imperforate
5600 Solar Flare
a. Imperforate
5601 Active Sun
a. Imperforate
5602 Plasma Blast
a. Imperforate
5603 Coronal Loops, diff.
a. Imperforate
5604 Sunspots
a. Imperforate
5605 Plasma Blast, diff.
a. Imperforate
5606 Solar Flare, diff.
a. Imperforate
5607 Coronal Hole, diff.
a. Imperforate
b. Block of 10, #5598-5607
c. Imperforate block of 10, #5598a-5607a

Updated June 17th:
The Sun Science stamps dedication ceremony planned for June 18, 2021 at 11:00 a.m., at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 8800 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20771 has been moved due to observance of the Juneteenth Federal Holiday and the NASA facility being closed. The new location and time are:

Greenbelt Main Post Office parking lot
7600 Ora Glen Dr.
Greenbelt, MD 20770
June 18, 2021 at 11:15 a.m.

Updated May 20th from the Postal Bulletin:
On June 18, 2021 in Greenbelt, MD, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Sun Science stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 480800). The stamps will go on sale nationwide June 18, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Sun Science stamps highlight stunning images of the Sun that celebrate the science behind the ongoing exploration of our nearest star. 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. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps with digital images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, a spacecraft launched in February 2010 to keep a constant watch on the Sun from geosynchronous orbit over its ground station in New Mexico.

No automatic distribution.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Sun Science Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by October 18, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Sun Science Stamps
Item Number: 480800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 18, 2021, Greenbelt MD 20770
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria VA
Existing Art: NASA/Solar Dynamic Observatory
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Flexographic, Foil Stamping
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 30,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.085 in. / 27.559 x 27.559 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.225 in. / 31.115 x 31.115 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.12 x 6.25 in. / 180.848 x 158.750 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 21.360 x 12.500 in. / 542.544 x 317.500 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits in bottom two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Sun Science • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (480800) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text