A constellation is a conditional section of the starry sky with defined boundaries that contains a distinctive group of stars. The current system of the International Astronomical Union comprises 88 official constellations, of which 12 are zodiacal and 76 are non-zodiacal ones.
Ursa Major is the most well known and one of the largest constellations in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a circumpolar constellation and is observable above the horizon at any time.
Ursa Minor is also a circumpolar constellation visible above the horizon at all times. It resembles the Ursa Major in configuration, but is smaller in size and consists of only 25 stars.
Boötes is a fairly large constellation in the Northern Hemisphere, described in the catalog of the 2nd-century astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, The Almagest.
The Canes Venatici constellation is located in the Northern Hemisphere and amounts to 50 stars that are visible to the naked eye.
The postage stamps feature constellations of the Northern Hemisphere: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Canes Venatici, and Boötes.
| Paper |
Printing method |
Perforation |
Format of the stamp |
Format of the block |
Edition |
| Chalk surfaced |
Offset + silver paste + holographic foil + security system |
Frame 11¼ |
37 × 37 mm |
94 × 94 mm |
25 thousand blocks |