Thread by @MAstronomers

🚨: What is at coordinate 0,0 on Earth?

For many years, nations insisted that 0° longitude should pass through their country. So where has 0° latitude and 0° longitude ended up?

[THREAD]

1/ What lies at 0°N, 0°E on Earth? This is the exact point where the Equator and the Prime Meridian intersect. On a map, it looks like a natural “origin” for global coordinates. But the reality of what sits at this location is surprising and a little strange.

You might picture land or some historic monument, but 0,0 is actually in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. It sits about 600 km off the coast of West Africa, near countries like Ghana, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe. There is no land there at all.

At 0,0 you will not find a city, island, or landmark. The point is open ocean. Nothing visible marks the spot. Yet, because of its importance in mapping and navigation, this strange coordinate plays a big role in global data systems and digital mapping tools.

GPS and mapping software often use 0,0 as a default when location data is missing or corrupted. This means lost devices, faulty apps, or errors in datasets often end up assigned to this spot, making it a “dumping ground” for all sorts of digital information.

Because of this odd use, geographers gave the spot a name: “Null Island.” Despite its name, there is no island. It is a cartographic inside joke, a way of labeling a coordinate that often shows up when data is wrong or incomplete. But people use it all the time.

While there is no island, there is a real object at 0,0. A weather buoy floats there to collect data for climate and ocean monitoring. That buoy is the only physical marker of the place. For all practical purposes, Null Island is one buoy and endless ocean.

So, what is at coordinate 0,0 on Earth? Not an island, not a city, not a monument. It’s an invisible point in the Gulf of Guinea used by GPS and cartographers as a placeholder. Next time you see 0,0 on a map, know it’s a digital myth with a tiny buoy keeping watch.