Saturday, May 10, 2008

Point Nemo

Point Nemo is a name for tthe oceanic pole of inaccessibility, the place in the ocean that is farthest from land. It lies in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,670 miles from the nearest lands: Ducie Island (part of the Pitcairn Islands) in the north, Motu Nui (part of the Easter Islands) in the northeast, and Maher Island in the south. The area is also known as a "spacecraft cemetery" because hundreds of decommissioned satellites, space stations, and other spacecraft have been deposited there upon re-entering the atmosphere.  The space station Mir fell there in 2001.