Published on: 2026-09-18
Unusual Geography and Earth Science
Which of these locations is technically the point on Earth closest to space, measured from the center of our planet?
Correct
Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador wins the crown because Earth is not a perfect sphere; it bulges at the equator. Since Chimborazo sits nearly on the equator, its peak gets an extra boost from this equatorial bulge, pushing it further away from the center of the planet than the summit of Mount Everest. Everest may be the highest point above sea level, but it is too far north to benefit from the planet's midsection expansion. Mauna Kea is impressive but loses the race to the bulge, and the Mariana Trench is literally the deepest place on Earth, so it is definitely not reaching for the stars.