Published on: 2026-06-15
Unusual Geography and Earth Science
Which of these locations is technically the point on Earth closest to space, measured from the center of the planet?
Correct
Because Earth is not a perfect sphere but rather an oblate spheroid that bulges at the equator, Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador gets a huge boost. Sitting nearly on the equator, its peak is the farthest point from Earth's center, reaching closer to the stars than Everest ever could. Mount Everest is the highest altitude above sea level, but it sits too far north to take the crown. Mauna Kea is super tall when measured from the ocean floor, but it still falls short compared to the planetary bulge at the equator. The North Pole is actually quite close to the center of the Earth because the planet is squashed at the poles, making it one of the lowest points in terms of distance from the core.