Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast Sep. 16, 2025

What do invisible gases, vintage hairspray and satellites have in common? They all played a role in one of the greatest environmental comebacks in history. Seen from 362 kilometres above, the Gulf Coast glows like a constellation—clusters of light scattered across the dark. But what truly makes this view possible can"t be seen: the ozone layer, silently shielding everything below from the sun"s ultraviolet rays. By the 1980s, that shield was thinning fast—damaged by chemicals once used in refrigeration and aerosol products. The solution? A global pact. The Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, led to a swift phase-out of ozone-depleting substances. Today, satellites show that the hole over Antarctica is shrinking. Scientists believe it could be fully healed by mid-century.

© Stocktrek Images/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Nimble and stealthy
Sep. 16, 2023Oktoberfest begins
Sep. 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan. 9, 2025Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia
Lets protect our turtles
Jun 10, 2026Hnausapollur crater lake, Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland
May 13, 2026Arch and Milky Way, Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Jan. 17, 2025World Pizza Day
Feb. 16, 2025Happy World Whale Day!
Dec. 18, 2023Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Aug. 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Sep. 15, 2023Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
Jul. 9, 2024Talampaya National Park, Argentina
Mar. 8, 2024International Womens Day
Racing through the five boroughs
Fit for a fairytale
May 18, 2026International Museum Day
Oct. 28, 2025The Gothic Gate in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, Czechia
May 31, 2026Humber River in Boyd Conservation Area, Vaughan, Ontario
Jul. 23, 2024Methoni Castle, Messinia, Greece
Jan. 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Jan. 27, 2025Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Preserving Alaskas natural beauty
Jun. 8, 2025World Oceans Day
Sep. 27, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
Keep practicing, little guy
Jan. 27, 2024St. Paul Winter Carnival
A warm hug in the icy north
Aug. 18, 2024Huntington Beach Pier, California, USA
Jun. 20, 2025Summer solstice
Jun. 22, 2024World Rainforest Day
Jul. 30, 2024San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
Feb. 7, 2026Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia