Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 13, 2026

Besson Rock

Besson Rock is the rock off the northwest coast of Nelson Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica extending 45 m in southeast–northwest direction and 32 m in southwest–northeast direction. Its surface area is 0.09 ha. The vicinity was visited by early 19th century sealers.

Last revised
Jul 13, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
329 w
Citations
2
Source
Besson Rock
Location within South Shetland Islands
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Location within Antarctica
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Geography
LocationAntarctica
Coordinates62°14′56″S 59°11′10.7″W / 62.24889°S 59.186306°W / -62.24889; -59.186306
ArchipelagoSouth Shetland Islands
Area0.09 ha (0.22 acres)
Length45 m (148 ft)
Width32 m (105 ft)
Administration
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty
Demographics
Populationuninhabited

Besson Rock (Bulgarian: скала Бесон, romanizedskala Besson, IPA: [skɐˈla bɛˈsɔn]) is the rock off the northwest coast of Nelson Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica extending 45 m in southeast–northwest direction and 32 m in southwest–northeast direction. Its surface area is 0.09 ha. The vicinity was visited by early 19th century sealers.1

The feature is named after Jacques Besson (ca 1540–1573), a French inventor and mathematician who created the cosmolabe, an instrument to be used for navigation, surveying and cartography; in association with other names in the area deriving from the early development or use of geodetic instruments and methods.

Location

Besson Rock is located at 62°14′56″S 59°11′10.7″W / 62.24889°S 59.186306°W / -62.24889; -59.186306,2 which is 1.93 km north of Smilets Point, 2.78 km northeast of Folger Rock, 2.78 km southwest of Withem Island and 2.27 km west by north of Retamales Point. British mapping in 1968.

See also

See also

Maps

  • Livingston Island to King George Island. Scale 1:200000. Admiralty Nautical Chart 1776. Taunton: UK Hydrographic Office, 1968.
  • South Shetland Islands. Scale 1:200000 topographic map No. 3373. DOS 610 - W 62 58. Tolworth, UK, 1968.
  • Antarctic Digital Database (ADD). Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly upgraded and updated.
References

References

  1. L. Ivanov. General Geography and History of Livingston Island. In: Bulgarian Antarctic Research: A Synthesis. Eds. C. Pimpirev and N. Chipev. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2015. pp. 17–28
  2. Bulgarian Antarctic Gazetteer. Antarctic Place-names Commission
External links

This article includes information from the Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria which is used with permission.