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 over 350 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, 2023Splügen Pass, Switzerland
Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites
The beauty that lies below
Mar 6, 2024Wahclella Falls, Oregon, USA
Sep 18, 2023Milky Way over Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park
Mar 25, 2024Happy Holi!
Oct 29, 2025Ancient til trees in Fanal Forest, Madeira, Portugal
Angry bird, doting dad
Take the trail more travelled by
Republic Day
Huddled and hunting
Beautiful falling waters
May 3, 2024The Sonoran Desert, Arizona, US
Sep 22, 2024Bada Bagh complex in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Aug 31, 2023Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States
Apr 26, 2025Indian Head Cove, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Canada
May 21, 2025International Tea Day
Jul 22, 2025Badlands National Park, South Dakota, United States
May 31, 2024Gunnerside, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
Feb 6, 2025Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Jul 7, 2024Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam
A time-worn medieval marvel
Mar 26, 2025Manatee in Crystal River, Florida, United States
Feb 3, 2026Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, United States
Hello, is it tea you’re looking for?
Sep 5, 2023Mount Segla, Senja Island, Norway
Gravity-defying wonders of the world
Jan 26, 2026Republic Day
A splash of colour
Bridging past and present