via The Sun
From The Travel by Ketie Machado
Could it be home to the elusive, mythical creature Cthulhu? Or is it just a remote island, completely devoid of life?
Not many have heard of Point Nemo and no - it's not in reference to the Disney movie that shares the same name.
Located roughly 1,000 miles from any reachable land area, this isolated island is only close to two additional remote locations, the Pitcairn Islands, the Easter Islands, and an Antarctic island located more than 1,000 miles away.
In Latin, 'Nemo' means 'no one' which is a more than adequate way to describe this island - it has never been and will never be home to any inhabitants.
Furthermore, it's said that astronauts have often been closer to this island than any one human.
Since the island sits over 1,000 miles away from any known landmass where humans have been, astronauts orbit the earth within at least 258 miles - meaning that even from space, they're still the closest humans to ever reach this point on the earth.
So, with that being said, why is Point Nemo so important, and what is it used for?
Could it be home to the elusive, mythical creature Cthulhu? Or is it just a remote island, completely devoid of life?
Not many have heard of Point Nemo and no - it's not in reference to the Disney movie that shares the same name.
Located roughly 1,000 miles from any reachable land area, this isolated island is only close to two additional remote locations, the Pitcairn Islands, the Easter Islands, and an Antarctic island located more than 1,000 miles away.
In Latin, 'Nemo' means 'no one' which is a more than adequate way to describe this island - it has never been and will never be home to any inhabitants.
Furthermore, it's said that astronauts have often been closer to this island than any one human.
Since the island sits over 1,000 miles away from any known landmass where humans have been, astronauts orbit the earth within at least 258 miles - meaning that even from space, they're still the closest humans to ever reach this point on the earth.
So, with that being said, why is Point Nemo so important, and what is it used for?
Even more so, if humans don't dwell there, then what actually does?
The Discovery Of Point Nemo
The mystery of Point Nemo grows increasingly intriguing, as the man who discovered it had never even stepped foot on the island himself.
A survey engineer by the name of Hrvoje Lukatela made the discovery of the land point in 1992 and was able to efficiently calculate both its distance and pinpoint its coordinates by triangulating other known landmasses.
At that point in time, it was also surmised that no human being had ever crossed over the coordinates used due to the remote area of the island - there would have been no reason to - therefore cementing the idea that this island and its surroundings truly are the most remote places on earth.
To add even more depth to this mystery, it's not like that many things live on or around Point Nemo, either.
What is known about this South Pacific location is that it's also home to extremely strong South Pacific currents called the South Pacific Gyre.
This current continuously pushes things through, including any potential nutrients and food sources that would be needed to actually sustain life on the island or in the water surrounding it.
There are volcanic vents in the seafloor which does lend some activity, but it's likely limited to bacteria and crabs which can withstand both the current and the underwater volcanic activity.
Despite The Lack Of Life, It's Awfully Loud On This Island
Point Nemo has been a point of interest for many and has even gained the attention of some scientists who believe there might be something unique happening around this landmass.
In 1997, only five years after the island was actually mapped, an unusual sound was recorded near the pole.
It was the loudest ever recorded underwater sound, beating out noises from both animals and underwater geological shifts.
The sound was so tremendous, in fact, that it was heard in separate places that were more than 3,000 miles apart.
Although they tried, scientists could think of nothing large enough or loud enough to create such a noise.
The sound was something of a bloop, similar to what would happen if a giant bubble were to explode from the ocean floor.
Between the lack of marine life and the lack of seafloor activity, there was seemingly no explaining where this noise came from.
However, some people had a different theory on the sound, and it involved none other than famed horror fiction author H.P. Lovecraft.
In The Call of Cthulhu, Lovecraft actually gave specific coordinates for the ancient city - R'yleh - where Cthulu supposedly came from.
These coordinates happened to be eerily similar to that of Point Nemo, leading Lovecraft fans to believe that just maybe, the author knew something that the rest of the world didn't.
The novel was written in 1928, which led some fans to believe that Lovecraft was onto something and had predicted the existence of a creature yet to be discovered.
The Truth Behind Point Nemo
While it's highly unlikely that Cthulhu is hiding in the South Pacific, scientists eventually did find a way to explain the unusual 'bloop' that occurred under the ocean's surface.
It was determined to be the sound of a piece of ice breaking off Antarctica, thus creating the aquatic noise that was recorded throughout the entire area.
Mystery fans shouldn't be disappointed, though - Point Nemo also has another, somewhat otherworldly purpose.
It's also known as the 'spaceship graveyard.' When spaceships that have been launched from the earth are due to re-enter the atmosphere, they need to go somewhere since the autonomous vehicles are no longer of use to anyone.
The most logical place experts could think of is a remote location that wouldn't interfere with a place that's inhabited, and that place happens to be Point Nemo.
Therefore, if anyone was able to make it to this island, they would see something quite unique - albeit not so mysterious.
Links :
The mystery of Point Nemo grows increasingly intriguing, as the man who discovered it had never even stepped foot on the island himself.
A survey engineer by the name of Hrvoje Lukatela made the discovery of the land point in 1992 and was able to efficiently calculate both its distance and pinpoint its coordinates by triangulating other known landmasses.
At that point in time, it was also surmised that no human being had ever crossed over the coordinates used due to the remote area of the island - there would have been no reason to - therefore cementing the idea that this island and its surroundings truly are the most remote places on earth.
To add even more depth to this mystery, it's not like that many things live on or around Point Nemo, either.
What is known about this South Pacific location is that it's also home to extremely strong South Pacific currents called the South Pacific Gyre.
This current continuously pushes things through, including any potential nutrients and food sources that would be needed to actually sustain life on the island or in the water surrounding it.
There are volcanic vents in the seafloor which does lend some activity, but it's likely limited to bacteria and crabs which can withstand both the current and the underwater volcanic activity.
Despite The Lack Of Life, It's Awfully Loud On This Island
Point Nemo has been a point of interest for many and has even gained the attention of some scientists who believe there might be something unique happening around this landmass.
In 1997, only five years after the island was actually mapped, an unusual sound was recorded near the pole.
It was the loudest ever recorded underwater sound, beating out noises from both animals and underwater geological shifts.
The sound was so tremendous, in fact, that it was heard in separate places that were more than 3,000 miles apart.
Although they tried, scientists could think of nothing large enough or loud enough to create such a noise.
The sound was something of a bloop, similar to what would happen if a giant bubble were to explode from the ocean floor.
Between the lack of marine life and the lack of seafloor activity, there was seemingly no explaining where this noise came from.
However, some people had a different theory on the sound, and it involved none other than famed horror fiction author H.P. Lovecraft.
In The Call of Cthulhu, Lovecraft actually gave specific coordinates for the ancient city - R'yleh - where Cthulu supposedly came from.
These coordinates happened to be eerily similar to that of Point Nemo, leading Lovecraft fans to believe that just maybe, the author knew something that the rest of the world didn't.
The novel was written in 1928, which led some fans to believe that Lovecraft was onto something and had predicted the existence of a creature yet to be discovered.
The Truth Behind Point Nemo
While it's highly unlikely that Cthulhu is hiding in the South Pacific, scientists eventually did find a way to explain the unusual 'bloop' that occurred under the ocean's surface.
It was determined to be the sound of a piece of ice breaking off Antarctica, thus creating the aquatic noise that was recorded throughout the entire area.
Mystery fans shouldn't be disappointed, though - Point Nemo also has another, somewhat otherworldly purpose.
It's also known as the 'spaceship graveyard.' When spaceships that have been launched from the earth are due to re-enter the atmosphere, they need to go somewhere since the autonomous vehicles are no longer of use to anyone.
The most logical place experts could think of is a remote location that wouldn't interfere with a place that's inhabited, and that place happens to be Point Nemo.
Therefore, if anyone was able to make it to this island, they would see something quite unique - albeit not so mysterious.
Links :
The Guardian : Thousands of kilometres from anywhere lies Point Nemo, a watery grave where space stations go to die
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