Eclipse Stamps: New US Stamp That Will ‘Magically’ Transform Into Recreate Total Solar Eclipse

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will soon release a first-of-its-kind “Total Solar Eclipse Forever” stamp to commemorate the Great American Eclipse that will take place on Aug. 21. The stamp that is printed using thermochromic ink will change on being touched.

An image of a total solar eclipse will quite magically transform into a picture of the Moon, after reacting to the heat of a finger, according to CNN. That is not all -- one will be able to see a map of where to best view the eclipse, on the back of the stamp.

The stamp images are photographs captured by astrophysicist Fred Espenak, who is also referred to as "Mr. Eclipse." One photo shows the total solar eclipse that could be seen from Libya’s Jalu on March 29, 2006. The other photo is of a full Moon. The unique stamp has been designed by art director Antonio Alcalá.

The Forever stamp will be issued by the USPS on June 20, 2017. A First-Day-of-Issue ceremony will also take place at the Art Museum of the University of Wyoming in Laramie during the summer solstice celebration. The stamp is going to be released as a Forever stamp that is always equivalent in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price. The Total Solar Eclipse Forever stamp also has a hashtag #EclipseStamps.

Incidentally, a total solar eclipse takes place when the Moon completely covers the Sun, thereby casting a shadow on the Earth. The shadow path of the Great American eclipse is expected to be 70 miles wide. It will move diagonally across the country from west to east.

"Tens of millions of people in the United States hope to view this rare event that has not been seen on the U.S. mainland since 1979," USPS said in a statement, according to a press release.