2018-07-09 Mon

Canada Post released two special stamps to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Royal Astronomical Society of Canada on 29th June. One of the stamps features Milky Way while the other one depicts northern lights.

A booklet of 10 with five stamps of each design was also released along with a souvenir sheet with the two designs se-tenant. The nondenominated, permanent stamps feature an emblem with a “P” inside a maple leaf, which means that they pay basic domestic rate of 85¢.

Established in 1868, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada strives towards educating the country about the universe. Today, it has over 5,000 amateurs, educators, and professionals in 28 centres across Canada.

Nighttime landscape photographer Matt Quinn took the photo featuring Milky Way at Bruce Peninsula National Park , Ontario, in 2016. Alan Dyer from Alberta took the photo featuring northern lights over Churchill, Manitoba in 2016. Both the photographers are also a part of the society.

Parcel Design of Toronto designed the stamps. Hidden metadata is printed in special ink on the border which reveals the date and time the photograph was taken, its coordinates and type of camera lens used when exposed to ultraviolet light. Lines and names are placed on the images to highlight constellations.

180,000 booklets of 10 were printed using seven-colour offset lithography by Colour Innovations. 85,000 souvenir sheets and 7,000 first-day covers with the souvenir sheet having Calgary, Alberta, cancellations are also available. The booklet cover and the FDC feature illustrations of a satellite, a celestial body and the Plaskett Telescope at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, British Columbia created by Irene Laschi.

Image Courtesy: Canada Post