December 30 2008 Postage Stamps issued by Hawai'i Post

Two stamps and a mini-sheet were issued on December 30th 2008 to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the invention of the telescope, and its subsequent adoption and improvement by the Italian Galileo Galilei.

The telescope was invented in the Netherlands, with two simultaneous patent applications in October 1608. These were crude designs with magnification only up to 3X. News of the invention reached Galileo Galilei in Italy in May 1609. Intrigued by the telescope he set about to improve on it by increasing its magnification. He showed an 8X telescope to the Venetian Senate in August 1609. They doublied his salary and awarded him a lifetime tenure at the University of Padua. Towards the end of 1609, he used it to observe the Moon. He then turned his attention to the planet Jupiter and its moons.

Galileo was born in Pisa, Italy in 1564 and educated in Florence. He then taught Mathematics at the University of Pisa before taking up a position at the University of Padua to teach Geometry, Mechanics and Astronomy.

The accepted scientific theory at the time was "geocentric', that is the sun orbited around the earth. Galileo, in his studies of the heavens with his telescope proved that in fact the earth orbited around the sun - "heliocentric". In March 1610, Galileo published his theory in "Sidereus Nuncius". This and other publications resulted in the Roman Catholic Church’s prohibiting the advocacy of the "heliocentric" doctrine as it was contrary to the literal meaning of the Bible. Eventually, Galileo was forced to recant his doctrine and spent the last years of his life under house arrest.

Galileo still carried on his observations of the heavens including his observation of a sun spot. Looking at the sun through a telescope (not recommended) may be why he went blind in his later years. In 2008, the Pope admitted the Roman Catholic Church was wrong to condemn Galileo 400 years ago.

The $6 stamp (above left) prepays the Overnight rate. It shows the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. It is the world's largest single-dish submillimetre-wave telescope, with a dish 15 metres across. It is operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre, for the United Kingdom Science & Technology Facilities Council, the Canadian National Research Council and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.

The $9 stamp (above right) prepays the Same Day rate. It shows a portrait of Galileo Galilei by Justus Sustermans. Note the end of a telescope grasped in his right hand.

The extinct volcano of "Mauna Kea" on the Big Island of Hawai'i rises to about 14,000 feet above sea level and about 31,000 feet above the ocean floor. Because it is extremely dry (above the clouds), cloud-free most of the year, its high altitude and long distance from the bright lights of civilization, it is considered one of the best places on the planet to observe the heavens. For this reason, eleven observatories with funding from many different countries have placed their telescopes on this mountain top. Galileo would be very proud.

In honor of Galileo, the United Nations has named 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy.

The $9 mini-sheet (above) prepays the Same Day rate. It shows the various observatories atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

The special postmark for this issue depicts a couple of telescopes atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Technical details of the stamps:
Colors: Multicolored
Size: Stamps - 48mm x 32mm.
Stamp sheet size: 30 (6 across, 5 down)
Perforation: Perf 12. Mini-sheet - Imperf.
Stamps design: Enelani.
Layout & Pre-press: Enelani.
Printer: Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i.
Printing Method: 4-color (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) printing process.
Sheet margin markings: HAWAI'I POST (top middle), "Traffic Light" showing 4 colors used in printing (lower left side), © 2008 Hawai'i Post (lower right side) & Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i. (bottom middle)
Paper: GPA coated white stock with water-activated gum on the back.