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Astronauts are actually the nearest neighbors.
By NyRee Ausler — Written on Feb 19, 2023
The world is a big place. So big that there are many obscure locations most of us will never hear of, much less visit.
As a matter of fact, scientists have mapped out the most inaccessible areas to travel to. And one point, right in the middle of the ocean, is the oceanic pole of inaccessibility.
That oceanic pole of inaccessibility is aptly named Point Nemo, and its location is so far out in the South Pacific Ocean that your nearest neighbors are astronauts.
What is Point Nemo?
Point Nemo, also known as the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, is located at 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W and is the place in the entire ocean that is furthest from land.
It is equally distant from the nearest land masses, Ducie Island, Easter Island, and Maher Island, and Antarctica to the south, sitting about 1,670 miles from each.
One of the most interesting facts about Point Nemo is that it is just around 258 miles from the International Space Station, making its closest neighbors astronauts.
Point Nemo was first discovered by survey engineer Hrvoje Lukatela in 1992. After his discovery, it become infamous and got a lot of attention.
The name itself, Point Nemo, came from a character, Captain Nemo, in one of Lukatela’s favorite childhood books, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne.
Point Nemo is relatively lifeless, so it is fitting that "Nemo" translates to "no one" in Latin.
Has anyone ever visited Point Nemo?
Point Nemo is so obscure that even the man who discovered it has never stepped foot there. As a matter of fact, it is possible that no person has ever visited the remote place at all.
Furthermore, non-human habitants likely have not been due to the South Pacific Gyre, a huge current that prevents water containing nutrients from flowing to the surrounding area, making it impossible to sustain life there.
Not only that, but the area itself is so far from land in any direction that it would take 15 days to travel there by boat!
Strange Theories About Point Nemo
There are many strange theories about Point Nemo, which is considered to be not only the most remote place in the world, but also one of the creepiest.
Astronauts dump debris into the ocean, making Point Nemo a graveyard for spacecrafts.
Point Nemo is often called a spacecraft graveyard due to the hundreds of decommissioned satellites, space stations, and other spacecraft that drop there when they are re-entering the atmosphere.
This is done purposely to reduce the risk of any debris hitting a place that is inhabited. The International Space Station itself is scheduled to crash at Point Nemo in 2031.
Point Nemo is the site of a mystery noise called 'the Bloop'.
Scientist were surprised in 1997, when they detected one of the loudest underwater sounds ever recorded near Point Nemo. The sound was recorded with underwater microphones more than 3,000 miles apart.
America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was unable to explain what could possibly be big enough to create the loud sound underwater. They ended up naming the mysterious sound “The Bloop.”
It later turned out that there was a totally logical explanation for the strange noise. It was the sound of ice breaking off the coast of Antarctica... at least, so scientists say.
Point Nemo is the lost city of R'lyeh, Cthulhu's lair.
Before the loud noise could be explained, sci-fi enthusiasts were convinced that there was a creature lurking in the ocean. This theory was based on H.P. Lovecraft’s 1928 short story, "The Call of Cthulhu."
The tentacled monster resided in the Pacific Ocean and its lair was the lost city of R’lyeh. The story even gave the city’s coordinates as 47°9’S 126°43’W, extremely close to Point Nemo and “The Bloop.”
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NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.