2026 Crab Nebula Priority Mail Stamps

The James Webb Space Telescope's image of the Crab Nebula, on a Priority Mail stamp designed by Greg Breeding. The Crab is the remnant of a star that exploded in 1054 - Chinese and Japanese astronomers recorded it at the time as a new star bright enough to see in daylight - and it is one of the most photographed objects in the sky. Webb's infrared view picks up filaments and dust structure that earlier telescopes could not resolve. Face value is $11.95, sold in panes of four.

Priority Mail stamps are denominated rather than Forever, so this one is worth exactly $11.95 toward postage; if the Priority rate has risen since it was printed, you add the difference and the stamp still does most of the work. Weigh the box at home and apply the stamps before you go. Stamped packages over 10 ounces or thicker than half an inch have to be handed in at a Post Office counter rather than dropped in a mailbox. Collectors buy the pane of four and keep it whole, which is the other half of the demand for these.