“Mr. Eclipse” talks about new USPS stamp

Mid-Missouri residents are three months away from the total solar eclipse that will bring a couple minutes of darkness upon the area.

As expected, hotels, stores and other tourist-related businesses are working to capitalize on the eclipse. One unlikely group getting involved is the United States Postal Service.

Next month, the postal service will release a first-of-its-kind stamp that changes when you touch it.

It’s called the Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamp and commemorates the August 21 eclipse. Using thermochromic ink, the image of the eclipsed sun transforms into an image of the Moon from the heat of your finger.

The stamp features the photography of retired astrophysicist Fred Espenak who is also known as “Mr. Eclipse.” He has a message for our neighbors who are *not in the path of totality. Espenak tells ABC 17 News, “You’ve got to be in the path. Now, I know you’re already in the past but maybe some of your (viewers) are just outside and might think, “Well, it’s gonna be 98% or 99% here.” 99% is nothing. You have to be in the past and see 100% of the sun covered by the moon in order to see the spectacular solar corona that surrounds the sun. Espenak says put down your smart phone, too. “I would recommend not to bother taking photographs. Just take this event in,” says Espenak. He calls it “the most amazing astronomical event that you can see with the naked eye.” The First-Day-of-Issue ceremony will be at the University of Wyoming in Laramie on June 20.

Learn more about and pre-order Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamps at usps.com/shop.