GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Stamps are often more than just a mark that you have paid for your letter to go from point a to point b.
They are representations of the time they were issued. They showcase events, people, and creations thought to be important at the time or that were already being remembered for their historical importance.
Throughout the years many of these important events captured by the American stamp have revolved around space travel or exploration, and in 2021 that tradition will continue. That is because later this year the USPS will release a new series of stamps featuring images taken of the sun by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) as part of their "sun science" series.
These images are more than just pretty pictures though. They are part of a comprehensive area of research involving the sun and how it impacts life here on Earth. The SDO, a satellite platform launched into orbit back in 2010, provides a round the clock feed of solar activity back to us here on Earth so we can be prepared for solar flares or other events that could disrupt our satellites, communications, or even our power systems.
When speaking with 13 On Your Side about the new stamps and the mission of the SDO, Project Scientist William Dean Pesnell said "I think it's great to have stamps that illustrate some science for the people in the United States.
"I think that the SDO stamps celebrate our incredible advances that we've made in understanding the Sun using satellites like SDO and the other satellites of the fleet that we have out in space."
You can watch the full interview between Meteorologist Michael Behrens and NASA SDO Project Scientist William Dean Pesnell below.
For more information about NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory you can visit their mission website, www.nasa.gov/sdo.
-- Meteorologist Michael Behrens
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Email me at: MBehrens@13OnYourSide.com
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