Deep in the Pacific Ocean, far from any human civilization, lies Point Nemo—the most remote place on Earth. Located 2,687 km (1,670 miles) from Antarctica, this desolate spot is surrounded by nothing but endless ocean. In fact, the nearest humans aren’t even on land—they’re often the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), orbiting just 417 km (260 miles) above Earth.
What Is Point Nemo?
Point Nemo, officially known as the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility, is the point in the ocean that is farthest from any land. It was discovered in 1992 by a Croatian engineer, Hrvoje Lukatela, using advanced mapping software. Because of its extreme isolation, no human has ever physically visited it—scientists rely on satellites and GPS to study its location.
The Spacecraft Cemetery
One of the most fascinating facts about Point Nemo is that it serves as a “spacecraft cemetery.” Since the 1970s, decommissioned satellites, space stations, and other debris from space have been intentionally crashed into this remote location. NASA and other space agencies choose Point Nemo because it is so far from civilization, ensuring that falling debris won’t harm anyone.
One of the most famous space objects to end up here was Russia’s Mir Space Station, which was guided to crash into the waters near Point Nemo in 2001. In the coming years, even the International Space Station (ISS) is expected to be deorbited here when it reaches the end of its life cycle.
The Russian space station Mir was deorbited on March 23, 2001, ending its 15-year mission. It reentered the Earth’s atmosphere and landed in the Pacific Ocean near Fiji
The Mystery of the “Bloop” Sound
Point Nemo is also famous for a mysterious underwater sound known as the “Bloop.” In 1997, scientists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) detected an extremely loud, deep sound coming from the South Pacific Ocean. Some people speculated that it could be evidence of a giant sea creature, perhaps something straight out of a science fiction movie.
However, further research revealed that the Bloop was actually caused by icebergs breaking and shifting beneath the sea—a natural but powerful sound.
