After beginning in northern British Columbia and flowing through Yukon in Canada, the Yukon River crosses Alaska, USA, before emptying into the Bering Sea. Countless lakes, sloughs, and ponds are scattered throughout this scene of the Yukon Delta. The river’s sinuous waterways seem like blood vessels branching out to enclose an organ.
The Yukon Delta is one of the largest river deltas in the world, and currently protected as part of its own National Wildlife Refuge.

This image, taken by Landsat 7 on September 22, 2002, won 2nd place in the online “Earth as Art” competition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Landsat satellite program.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/USGS EROS Data Center

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