Discovering Point Nemo
British explorer Chris Brown recently made history by leading an expedition to Point Nemo, located in the southern Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand. This remote oceanic location is known as the oceanic pole of inaccessibility.
The Origin of the Name
Point Nemo is named after the famous submarine sailor Captain Nemo from Jules Verne’s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The name “Nemo” is derived from a Latin term meaning ‘no man’.
Exploration and Coordinates
In 1992, Croatian survey engineer Hrvoje Lukatela named the region and recalculated its exact coordinates using Google Maps data. The precise location of Point Nemo is at 48°52.6’S 123°23.6’W.
Closest Landmarks
The closest landmass to Point Nemo is Ducie Island, an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Islands. Heading south leads to Maher Island in Antarctica, while northeast takes you to Motu Nui Island near Easter Island.
Point Nemo: A Unique Space Cemetery
Point Nemo serves as a space cemetery where satellites are intentionally crashed in a controlled manner. This practice ensures that decommissioned spacecraft do not pose a risk to inhabited areas. Notably, the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to plunge into the Pacific Ocean in early 2031.
All spacecraft that have fulfilled their purpose are safely disposed of by crashing them at Point Nemo.