Submitted by Michael Frankfort @mfrank_76
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“Eerie Facts About Point Nemo, The Most Remote Location On Planet Earth” by Gina Dimuro:
- Most Remote Location: Point Nemo, also known as the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, is the most isolated point on Earth, located over 1,000 miles from any land. Its coordinates are 48°52.6’S 123°23.6’W.
- Space Graveyard: Due to its remoteness, Point Nemo is used by NASA and other space agencies as an underwater graveyard for decommissioned spacecraft and space debris. The International Space Station is also expected to fall into this area when it deorbits in 2031.
- Isolated Coordinates: The closest landmasses to Point Nemo are distant Pitcairn Islands, Easter Island, and an island off Antarctica. The nearest humans are astronauts aboard the International Space Station, about 258 miles away from Earth’s surface.
- Historical Calculation: Croatian engineer Hrvoje Lukatela calculated the exact location of Point Nemo in 1992 using computer programs. It is possible no human has ever been precisely at this point.
- Lack of Life: Point Nemo falls within the South Pacific Gyre, a nutrient-poor area, making it difficult for most marine life to thrive. However, some bacteria and small crabs have been documented near volcanic vents.
- The Bloop Mystery: In 1997, a mysterious loud underwater sound known as “The Bloop” was recorded near Point Nemo. Initially speculated to be related to a fictional sea monster from H.P. Lovecraft’s stories, it was later determined to be the sound of ice breaking off Antarctica.
- Spacecraft Graveyard: The remoteness of Point Nemo makes it an ideal location for spacecraft and satellite disposal. Since 1971, over 263 pieces of space debris, including major space stations like Skylab and Mir, have re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and fallen into this region.
Despite its eerie reputation and connection to science fiction, Point Nemo is essentially a quiet, isolated zone serving a practical purpose for managing space debris.