Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Point Nemo is about 2,688 kilometres (1,670 miles or 1,451 nautical miles) from the nearest land. This oceanic point lies at 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W in the South Pacific. Its three closest land points are Ducie Island, Motu Nui near Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and Maher Island near Antarctica. If the International Space Station happens to pass directly overhead, its astronauts are temporarily closer than anyone on Earth; they are not permanently the nearest people.
What Point Nemo is
Point Nemo is the common name for the Pacific Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility: the point in the ocean that is farthest from any land. “Point” can be misleading because there is no island, reef or marker at the coordinates. It is a mathematical location in open South Pacific water, identified by comparing the point with surrounding coastlines.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gives the position as 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W. NOAA’s fact page, last updated January 4, 2021, describes it as the ocean location farthest from land and gives an approximate nearest-land distance of 2,688 kilometres.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Some references use decimal degrees, approximately 48.87°S, 123.39°W. Those coordinates are a rounded representation of the same location, not a competing point. The site is in the South Pacific, well away from continental coasts and inhabited islands. Coordinates identify a position on the ocean surface; they do not imply a permanent buoy, scientific station or administrative address.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
How far away is the nearest land?
The concise answer is 2,688 kilometres. That is a straight-line, great-circle distance from Point Nemo to the closest coastal points, not a sailing distance or a route that a vessel could follow around weather, currents and restricted waters. A real voyage would be longer or shorter than a simple map estimate depending on the departure port and the route chosen, but it would still begin with the same geographic separation from the nearest coast.
| Measurement | Value | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Distance in kilometres | About 2,688 km | Rounded figure reported by NOAA and Guinness World Records |
| Distance in statute miles | About 1,670 miles | Conversion used by Guinness World Records |
| Distance in nautical miles | About 1,451 nautical miles | Conversion used by Guinness World Records |
| Peer-reviewed calculation | 2,690 ± 2 km | Garcia-Castellanos and Lombardo, Scottish Geographical Journal, 2007 |
The two kilometre-scale figures do not conflict. NOAA and Guinness present a rounded, reader-friendly value, while the 2007 paper reports the output of a specific numerical calculation together with its stated uncertainty. In practical terms, both identify the same point and the same nearest coastlines.
The unit conversions are useful because different audiences use different distance systems. Statute miles are the miles used in everyday U.S. and U.K. descriptions, while nautical miles are standard for marine navigation. One nautical mile is based on latitude and is therefore convenient for charts, but none of these units changes the underlying great-circle measurement.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallWhich land points are closest?
There is not one uniquely nearest beach. Point Nemo is positioned almost equally far from three separate island or Antarctic land points. Their relative directions from the point are useful when reading a map.
Ducie Island: north
Ducie Island is the northern reference point. It belongs to the Pitcairn Islands, a British overseas territory in the South Pacific. NOAA identifies Ducie as the nearest-land point to the north. It is an island, not a mainland coastline, so describing Point Nemo as “thousands of kilometres from the nearest continent” understates how the calculation works: the nearest targets are small, widely separated land points.
Motu Nui: northeast
Motu Nui is a small islet near Rapa Nui, commonly called Easter Island. It lies to the northeast of Point Nemo and is one of the three coastal points used in the distance calculation. Motu Nui is associated geographically with Rapa Nui, but the measurement is to the islet’s coastline itself. Referring to Rapa Nui alone can therefore be imprecise; the named reference in the calculation is Motu Nui.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Maher Island: south
Maher Island is near Antarctica and forms the southern reference point. NOAA describes it as part of Antarctica. Its inclusion is why the nearest land is not simply “the closest Pacific island”: Antarctic outlying islands and coastal features are part of the same geometric comparison.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsGuinness World Records describes the location as virtually equidistant from Ducie Island, Motu Nui and Maher Island. Small differences in a map’s coastline outline or in the selected shoreline point should not be interpreted as a different Point Nemo. The important result is the three-way balance: moving toward any one of these references eventually reduces the distance to land.
How the distance is calculated
Point Nemo is found by solving a geographic optimization problem: identify the ocean point whose nearest coastline is as far away as possible. The result is often called a pole of inaccessibility because the definition maximizes remoteness from land, rather than measuring distance from a particular city or country.
Great-circle geometry
On a globe, the shortest surface path between two locations follows a great-circle arc. A calculation evaluates these arcs from candidate ocean positions to nearby coastlines, then searches for the candidate whose smallest distance to land is largest. This is why the result is a geographic distance, not a straight line drawn on a flat map projection. Flat projections can stretch or compress long South Pacific distances, especially toward the edges of a map.
The published numerical method
Daniel Garcia-Castellanos and Umberto Lombardo described their method in “Poles of Inaccessibility: A Calculation Algorithm for the Remotest Places on Earth,” published in volume 123, issue 3 of the Scottish Geographical Journal in September 2007. Their calculation places the pole at 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W and gives 2,690 ± 2 kilometres to the coasts of Motu Nui, Maher Island and Ducie Island.
The authors used a digitized coastline dataset with an approximate resolution of 500 metres. That resolution is sufficient to establish the broad result, but a coastline is not a perfectly fixed line at every scale. The paper notes that local coastline definitions can introduce larger uncertainties in areas such as deltas. For Point Nemo, that caveat explains why a precise-looking coordinate should not be treated as a permanently survey-marked spot. A different dataset may place the maximizing coordinate a little differently while preserving the same South Pacific location and order-of-magnitude distance.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Why published numbers vary slightly
- Rounding: 2,688 km is a rounded public-facing value, while 2,690 ± 2 km preserves the paper’s calculated result and uncertainty.
- Coastline data: Different shoreline datasets can trace small islands and irregular coastlines at different resolutions.
- Coordinate precision: Degrees-and-minutes coordinates and rounded decimal coordinates display the same location with different levels of detail.
- Reference point: Measuring to a named island, its nearest shoreline, or a generalized coastline can produce a small numerical difference without changing which land points are closest.
Are astronauts really the nearest people?
Sometimes, yes—but only under a specific condition. Guinness World Records explains that if a person were at Point Nemo while the International Space Station (ISS) were directly overhead, the crew aboard the station would be nearer than anyone on Earth. The ISS orbits at an altitude of around 400 kilometres (248 miles), far less than the roughly 2,688-kilometre distance to the nearest land.
Why “directly overhead” matters
The comparison is three-dimensional. When the station is nearly above the observer, the shortest separation is close to its orbital altitude. As the station travels away from the overhead position, the slant distance grows. Once it is far enough toward the horizon, the astronauts may no longer be closer than people on land or on nearby vessels. The phrase “nearest people” therefore describes a momentary geometry, not a permanent status attached to the location.
It is not a permanent nearest-person record
The ISS is moving continuously, and its crew changes. “Astronauts are the nearest people” is therefore a conditional description of an overhead pass, not a statement that a particular astronaut is always closest to Point Nemo. No source establishes one person who permanently holds that distinction.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The Atlantic has made the same comparison in practical terms: from a boat at Point Nemo, the closest humans will likely be ISS astronauts as the station passes overhead. “Likely” reflects the station’s changing position; it does not turn the claim into a fixed population statistic. A vessel, aircraft or another spacecraft could also alter who is physically nearest at a particular instant, but the well-known comparison concerns the ISS and its approximately 400-kilometre orbit.
What the coordinates mean for a visitor
Entering 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W into a mapping system identifies a position in the South Pacific, not a destination with a dock, road or land-based address. A vessel would still need to navigate to the point, and its actual travel distance would depend on its departure port, route, currents and weather. The 2,688-kilometre figure answers only the geographic question: how far the nearest land is from the point itself.
The three nearest references also explain why a map may appear to show Point Nemo as “between” several places. Ducie Island is to the north, Motu Nui to the northeast and Maher Island to the south. None is adjacent; each is separated by roughly the same order of distance. Because the point is offshore, a map pin may appear to move slightly when a service rounds the coordinates or uses a different coastline database.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
There is no verified, Point Nemo-specific population count to report. The useful human-distance comparison is instead geometric: people on the surrounding land are at least as far away as the nearest coast, while people aboard an overhead spacecraft can be much closer for the duration of the pass. “Remote” here means distance from land, not a measured claim that no ship or aircraft can ever be nearby.
Recommended Free Tools
Where the name “Point Nemo” comes from
NOAA says the popular name honors Captain Nemo, the submarine commander in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The literary reference fits the location’s ocean setting, but it is not the formal reason the point exists. The geographic designation comes from the pole-of-inaccessibility calculation and its relationship to coastlines. Readers interested in the name can consult the novel, but no book or map is needed to determine the distance.
How to quote the distance accurately
For a short answer, write: “Point Nemo is about 2,688 kilometres (1,670 miles; 1,451 nautical miles) from the nearest land, according to NOAA’s National Ocean Service.” If you need the peer-reviewed calculation, identify it as “2,690 ± 2 kilometres” and name Garcia-Castellanos and Lombardo’s 2007 study.
- Call the value approximate or rounded when using 2,688 km.
- Name all three nearest land points rather than implying there is one nearest island.
- Keep the astronaut comparison conditional on the ISS being directly overhead or passing nearby.
- Do not present 48.87°S, 123.39°W as a more accurate alternative; it is a rounded decimal form of the coordinates.
- Describe the measurement as a great-circle distance to the nearest coastline, not a guaranteed travel distance by ship.
Frequently asked questions
Is Point Nemo closer to Antarctica or to a Pacific island?
Neither is clearly the sole winner. Maher Island near Antarctica, Ducie Island to the north and Motu Nui to the northeast are the three nearest land points and are described as virtually equidistant.
Can you stand on Point Nemo?
There is no land to stand on. Point Nemo is a coordinate in open ocean; reaching it would require a vessel, and the coordinate itself has no physical marker.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Is 2,688 kilometres an exact measurement?
No. It is the rounded figure used by NOAA and Guinness World Records. The peer-reviewed 2007 calculation reports 2,690 ± 2 kilometres, and coastline data and definitions can create small differences.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Are ISS astronauts always the closest humans?
No. They are closer only when the station is overhead or passing near the point. Because the ISS moves continuously, the nearest people change with time.
What does “Nemo” mean here?
The name refers to Captain Nemo in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, not to a permanent resident, island or scientific facility.
Bottom line
Point Nemo is the South Pacific’s farthest-from-land ocean point, located at 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W. The nearest land—Ducie Island, Motu Nui and Maher Island—is about 2,688 kilometres away. During an overhead ISS pass, astronauts can be the closest people, but that condition changes as the station moves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Point Nemo from the nearest land?
About 2,688 kilometres (1,670 miles or 1,451 nautical miles), measured as a great-circle distance. A 2007 peer-reviewed calculation gives 2,690 ± 2 kilometres.
What is the closest land to Point Nemo?
Three points are virtually equidistant: Ducie Island to the north, Motu Nui near Rapa Nui to the northeast, and Maher Island near Antarctica to the south.
Are astronauts the nearest people to Point Nemo?
Only conditionally. If the International Space Station is directly overhead at roughly 400 kilometres altitude, its crew are closer than anyone on Earth. The ISS moves, so this is not permanent.
Is Point Nemo an island or a place you can visit on land?
No. It is a mathematical coordinate in open South Pacific water, with no island, dock or permanent marker.
The Bottom Line
Point Nemo is about 2,688 km from land. Ducie Island, Motu Nui and Maher Island are the nearest points, while ISS astronauts can be temporarily closest when the station passes overhead.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
