Ninigo Islands
- STS104-720-74
- 17 July 2001
- 02:28
The Ninigo Islands are located in the Western Islands region, situated 73 km west-northwest of the Hermit Islands and 255 km northwest of Manus Island (the largest of the Admiralty Islands); the PNG mainland is located 260 km to the south. The Ninigo Islands themselves form a large open-atoll structure (image centre) that is surrounded by several smaller atoll formations — however, the entire group is usually referred to as the Ninigo Islands. In total there are 7 atolls with around 50 small islets.
The largest component is that of the Ninigo Group, forming a 34 km long by 18 km wide atoll open on its western side. The major island is Mal, located at the southern end of the outer reef. Other islands on the reef include: Hepi, Lau, Pelipa, Ahu, Sawapil, Chauch, Menan, Longan, Nahanu, Hepisasa, Chacheon, Maichuch, Potaminam, Amik, Puol, Pisa, Ngi, Onia, Wahangahun, Sabucho, Pihun, Keholl, Kamochin, Sand and Nunu. Within lagoon are the islands of Pingilap, Talil, Hottom, Bahanat and Amot.
Located a few hundred meters to the northeast, across a narrow and deep channel, from Ninigo are the islands of the Pelleluhu Group (at left in the image) — the second largest component of the Ninigo Islands. They are an atoll structure of 9 by 8 km consisting of a small central lagoon that is completely surrounded by comparatively broad reefs. The 13 islands of Szighwalin, Pelleluhu, Palitolla, Pennehan, Pahait, Somaniat, Bilapalap, Manu, Hamoha, Moat, Ahaltin, Bircha and Guam are located on its eastern side.
The remaining members of the group are all small reef formations located south and east of the main islands. They include the circular shaped atoll known as the Heina Group (at top-left in the image), located 5 km east of the Pelleluhu Group, consisting of 6 small islets (Kat, Sa, Mottum, Tall, Na and Laualau) tightly wrapped around a central lagoon. The most easterly group is that of Liot Atoll (at top in the image), located 19 km east of Ninigo. Liot consists of a tiny central lagoon surrounded on three sides by the solitary island of Ufe; the western side is composed of submerged reef formations. The remaining three reefs of Sama, Sumusama and Awin are located 7 km, 13 km and 30 km to the southwest respectively. (Sama and Sumusama are both visible a the bottom-right corner of the image).
image: earth sciences and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson space center
Location Map
