Ecuador is considered the country closest to the moon. This is because Mount Chimborazo, located in Ecuador, is the point on Earth furthest from the Earth's center. While Mount Everest is the highest above sea level, the Earth bulges at the equator, making Chimborazo's peak closer to the moon.
Understanding the Concept of Closest Point
It's important to understand that the moon's distance from Earth is relatively consistent across the planet. However, due to the Earth's slightly oblate spheroid shape (bulging at the equator), the point furthest from the Earth's core is actually closer to the moon than other points, even though the difference is negligible in the grand scheme of astronomical distances.
Mount Chimborazo: The Key Factor
- Location: Mount Chimborazo is located in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador.
- Significance: Its proximity to the equator and its height above sea level, combined with the Earth's equatorial bulge, makes its peak the furthest point from the Earth's center. This means it is, technically, the closest point on Earth to the moon.
Multiple sources corroborate this claim, including Nas Daily's video and various articles on the subject. For example, Nas Daily's TikTok video (https://www.tiktok.com/@nasdaily/video/7283161694887546113) explicitly states that Ecuador is the closest country to the moon due to Chimborazo's unique geographical position. Furthermore, numerous articles, such as the one on Medium (https://medium.com/@jcfmedicalcollege/ecuador-the-country-closest-to-the-moon-and-a-world-of-wonders-317bc0738555), reinforce this concept.
It is crucial to remember that the difference in distance to the moon from different points on Earth is minuscule compared to the overall distance.
