It's a total eclipse of the...stamp?
You heard right. The Postal Service will debut a new shape-shifting Forever stamp in June ahead of a rare solar eclipse set for Aug. 21.
The new issue will transform from an image of a total solar eclipse into an image of the moon when you press it with your finger. The back will feature a U.S. map tracking when the eclipse will appear across the country.
It's the first time a stamp will make use of thermochromic ink, which is sensitive to body heat (and changing temperatures -- which means stamps should be kept away from direct sunlight).
The stamp's photo of the eclipse was taken in Libya by an Arizona-based astrophysicist in 2006.
For rusty space enthusiasts: A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely covers the sun, casting a shadow on the Earth, according to NASA. The shadow path of the eclipse, which is 70 miles wide, will move diagonally across the country from west to east, traversing Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina. A partial view of the phenomenon will be visible across North America.
"Tens of millions of people in the United States hope to view this rare event, which has not been seen on the U.S. mainland since 1979," the Postal Service said in a statement.
NASA has already started its countdown clock.
The stamp will be formally unveiled on June 20.
