My Meridian Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

Wintertime: I finally got around to checking the cache today, and I was able to find it, but it took me nearly 15 minutes. The previous finder had put it back in exactly the right place, but the ivy has really grown up in that area.

I've decided that this cache has served its purpose and deserves a nice retirement. My thanks to everyone who looked for it. I hope those of you who found it enjoyed the Greenwich tchotchkes and other trade items. If you ever get to London, do take the boat down the Thames to the Royal Observatory and visit the Prime Meridian yourself.

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Hidden : 12/22/2003
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The cache is not at the posted coordinates, but is within 3 miles of them.

This cache honors the Prime Meridian in Greenwich and all the other meridians around the world. The answers you need to determine the real coordinates are easy to find on the Internet. A good one for the kids to try!

I live just a few hundred feet from a meridian. Oh, sure, it isn't one of the really important meridians. It isn't the Prime Meridian, or the International Date Line, or even one of the 15-degree meridians that delineate time zones. But it's my meridian, and I'm proud of it. :-) After all, every meridian plays a role in helping people know where they are. So this cache honors meridians, with a special nod to the place where it all starts, Greenwich.

Answer the 10 questions below to determine the actual coordinates of the cache. You can find all of the answers on the Web, but many of them are also referred to in Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, a fascinating book by Dava Sobel. If you ever get the chance, do visit the Royal Observatory, Greenwich to see John Harrison's revolutionary timepieces and to stand astride the Prime Meridian yourself.

A. Which British monarch established the Royal Observatory?
  • King Charles I = 6
  • King Charles II = 2
  • King James II = 8
  • Queen Mary II = 0
  • Queen Anne = 5

    B. In what year was the Royal Observatory founded?
  • 1663 = 9
  • 1665 = 7
  • 1675 = 3
  • 1683 = 1
  • 1696 = 0

    C. What was the amount (in British pounds) of the prize offered by the British government for a reliable way to determine longitude at sea?
  • 1,000 = 4
  • 5,000 = 0
  • 10,000 = 5
  • 15,000 = 8
  • 20,000 = 7

    D. In what year was John Harrison born?
  • 1676 = 1
  • 1683 = 6
  • 1686 = 2
  • 1693 = 8
  • 1696 = 0

    E. Which of Harrison’s marine chronometers was basically a pocket watch?
  • H1 = 6
  • H2 = 9
  • H3 = 0
  • H4 = 5
  • H5 = 4

    F. What method of finding longitude at sea was promoted by Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne?
  • Lunar distance = 0
  • Jupiter moon eclipses = 5
  • Solar elevation = 8
  • Venus transits = 3
  • Solar eclipses = 4

    G. Which famous explorer helped confirm the accuracy of Harrison’s timepieces?
  • Sir Francis Drake = 4
  • Captain James Cook = 0
  • Ferdinand Magellan = 7
  • Sir Henry Hudson = 6
  • Sir Walter Raleigh = 9

    H. In what year did John Harrison die?
  • 1763 = 9
  • 1776 = 0
  • 1783 = 4
  • 1796 = 1
  • 1798 = 2

    I. Which of the following sites is on the meridian that ran through Paris?
  • Arc de Triomphe = 8
  • Notre Dame = 3
  • Palais du Louvre = 0
  • Sacre Coeur = 5
  • Tour Eiffel = 2

    J. When was Greenwich, England adopted as the world’s prime meridian at a conference of 25 countries?
  • 1863 = 3
  • 1875 = 7
  • 1876 = 2
  • 1882 = 4
  • 1884 = 0

The final coordinates are:

N37° AB.CDE
W122° FG.HIJ

Each of the 10 questions is identified by a letter. Replace the letters in the above coordinates with the number associated with each of your answers.

The cache is a Rubbermaid container about 6" x 10" x 3". The initial cache contents include:
  • A copy of Longitude as the FTF prize. (The FTF cacher is also welcome to take one of the Greenwich souvenirs.)
  • A ROG keychain with a world/meridian design
  • Two ROG lapel pins with a world/meridian design
  • Two ROG pens with a 0° 00' 00" design
  • Several postcards of John Harrison, his timepieces, and the ROG
  • Some John Harrison and ROG refrigerator magnets

    I realize that meridian-themed tchotchkes are a bit hard to come by in the Bay Area. :-) (I ordered the above souvenirs directly from the ROG.) So unless you happen to have any Greenwich/meridian/Equator/parallel-related items, just trade whatever other nice swag you have on hand.

    Please do not walk on the ivy. You can reach the cache from bare ground. Please replace the cache so that it remains accessible without anyone needing to tromp on the ground cover.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Nebhaq gur gerr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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