45×90 points facts for kids
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The 45×90 points are four special spots on Earth. They are exactly halfway between the geographical poles (North and South Poles) and the equator (the imaginary line around the middle of the Earth). They are also halfway between the Prime Meridian (the starting line for longitude) and the 180th meridian (the line on the opposite side of the Earth).
These points are important in cartography (map-making) and navigation. They help us understand how we measure locations on our planet.
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The 45°N, 90°W Point: A Popular Spot
The most famous and often visited 45×90 point is at 45°0′0″N 90°0′0″W / 45.00000°N 90.00000°W. This spot is in the town of Rietbrock, Wisconsin, near a small community called Poniatowski. It is about 410 meters above sea level.
The Marathon County Park Commission placed a large sign and a metal marker on the ground here. The marker had to be moved a little bit later. Since September 12, 2017, visitors can easily find it again.
This spot has become quite popular! A local place called Gesicki's Tavern in Poniatowski helped make it famous. They used to sell special 45×90 T-shirts. They also had a "45×90 Club" where visitors could sign up. Since 2006, the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau keeps the official club book. When you become a member, the Bureau gives you a special coin to remember your visit.
The 45°N, 90°E Point: A Remote Location
The only other 45×90 point found on land is at 45°0′0″N 90°0′0″E / 45.00000°N 90.00000°E. This point is about 1,009 meters above sea level. It is in a very lonely area of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. It is close to the border with Mongolia.
This spot is about 240 kilometers northeast of a city called Ürümqi. It sits on the border between Qitai and Qinggil Counties. An American named Greg Michaels and a taxi driver from Qitai, Ru Rong Zhao, visited this point on April 13, 2004. They wrote about their trip for the Degree Confluence Project. They did not find any monument or sign marking the spot. They also found that the closest town on maps, Jiangjunmiao, had been empty for a long time.
The 45°S, 90°E Point: Deep in the Ocean
This 45×90 point is in the southern Indian Ocean at 45°0′0″S 90°0′0″E / 45.00000°S 90.00000°E. The ocean floor here is very deep, about 3,203 meters below sea level.
This point is far from land:
- About 1,244 kilometers southeast of the closest island, Île Saint-Paul.
- About 1,480 kilometers northeast of Elephant Spit on Heard Island.
- About 1,569 kilometers east-northeast of Port aux Français in the Kerguelen Islands.
- About 2,425 kilometers north of Antarctica.
- About 2,448 kilometers southwest of Augusta, Western Australia.
In March 2014, this exact area was part of the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Satellites had spotted possible plane parts nearby.
The 45°S, 90°W Point: In the Pacific Ocean
This point is located in the southern Pacific Ocean at 45°0′0″S 90°0′0″W / 45.00000°S 90.00000°W. It is about 1,300 kilometers west-southwest of Guaitecas in Chile. It is also about 3,074 kilometers north of Antarctica. The ocean floor at this spot is about 4,185 meters below sea level.
What are Antipodes?
Each 45×90 point has an antipode. An antipode is the point on the exact opposite side of the Earth. Imagine drawing a straight line through the center of the Earth from one point; the other end of that line is its antipode.
- The point in the southern Indian Ocean (45°S, 90°E) is the antipode of the point in Wisconsin (45°N, 90°W).
- The point in the southern Pacific Ocean (45°S, 90°W) is the antipode of the point in China (45°N, 90°E).
Images for kids
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Image of the current 45Nx90W marker in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
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Image of the larger context for the 45Nx90W marker in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
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Image of 45Nx90W geographical marker informational display.
