The nearest neighbours are in space

It's called Point Nemo, and it's the place in the ocean farthest from any coastline. It sits in the South Pacific, and the nearest island — an uninhabited speck of rock — lies about 2,688 kilometres away in every direction. To put that in perspective: it's like standing in Madrid with the nearest dry land somewhere beyond Stockholm.

The International Space Station orbits about 400 kilometres overhead. So whenever it flies over the area, the astronauts on board are, quite literally, the closest human beings to that point.

Space agencies know this and put it to use: the region serves as a "spacecraft cemetery". Hundreds of satellites and stations, including the legendary Mir, have been steered there to fall harmlessly into the sea.

Nemo is Latin for "no one". Rarely has a name fitted so well.