June 25 is the Day of the Seafarer, a global event highlighting how much we rely on the maritime industry. Turns out, it’s a whole lot, as ships transport more than 80 percent of global trade. In honor of this occasion, we’re showing a NASA satellite view of ship tracks over the Pacific. And what are ship tracks, you ask? They’re clouds that form around particles in ship exhaust when it hits the damp ocean air. These clouds often stretch in narrow paths as in this image, reflecting ships’ courses. To the seafarers out there (1.5 million, according to the International Maritime Organization), we wish you smooth sailing and a good day at sea.
Tracking ships on the Day of the Seafarer
Today in History
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Sutherland Falls in Fiordland National Park
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Hoisting a flag for seafarers
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Birds and bees, and why they re so important
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Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
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Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan
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Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
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Glastonbury Festival begins
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Buildings on Grand-Place Square in Brussels, Belgium
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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In Apia Harbor for Samoan Independence Day
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A crush in Lavaux
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Hitsujiyama Park, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
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Humpback whales in Maui, Hawaii
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Chilling out in the Arctic
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Sand, sun, and sk8ers
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A bull, some flowers, and a stratovolcano
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Ponta da Piedade rock formations in Portugal
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A night of art and culture
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Big sky at Big Bend
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Drop in on International Surfing Day
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Mandarin duck, Richmond Park, London, England
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A monastery in the mountain
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Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
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New beginnings
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World Turtle Day
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South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida
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Meandering through Patagonia
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In Texas, even the riverbend is big
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Who s hiding in the kelp?
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Art in the high desert
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Palace of Westminster, London, England
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National Hug Day
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Asteroid Day
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A hermitage with a view
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World Elephant Day
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Cranborne Chase, England
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Christmas Tree Point Road and Twin Peaks, San Francisco
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Dreaming of the Tyrrhenian Sea
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A fair that s star-studded
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

