The end of August. We’ve had some rainstorms over the summer. All across the United States. And when they come along, we always say, “Everybody out of the pool.” That’s because of lightning.
It is smart to say that. You see, a bolt of lightning can reach temperatures around 50,000°F (27,700°C). That’s roughly five times hotter than the surface of the Sun. That’s hot.
Speaking of being in water. Here’s one more thing you might like to know.
There is a point in the Pacific Ocean called Point Nemo that is farther from land than anywhere else on Earth. It’s so remote that astronauts aboard the International Space Station are sometimes the closest humans. Hello, beautiful Earth.
Point Nemo is located in the South Pacific Ocean and is considered the oceanic pole of inaccessibility. It is the point on Earth that is farthest from any land.
Its approximate coordinates are: 48°52.6′ South, 123°23.6′ West
The nearest pieces of land are all tiny, uninhabited islands: Ducie Island (to the north); Motu Nui (to the northeast); Maher Island (to the south). Each is roughly 1,670 miles (2,688 kilometers) away. Hello, outer space.
The International Space Station typically orbits at an altitude of about 250 miles. Much closer than those islands.
And since we are talking about water, I should tell you this.
The longest place name in the United States is a lake in Massachusetts. Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg has a name 45 letters long.
Splish, Splash.
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“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” — Isak Dinesen
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“We know more about the surface of the Moon than the bottom of the ocean.” — Jacques Piccard
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“The Earth is what we all have in common.” — Wendell Berry
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