This cache is not at the published coordinates
This cache represents the Moon in orbit around the Earth. At our scale it is about 19cm in diameter, the size of a bowling ball, and just 21m away from Earth - which is too close for us to hide another container so we've made it a puzzle instead.
Moon
The Moon orbits the Earth at a distance of 384,000km. It is the fifth largest moon in the solar system, but the largest relative to the planet that it orbits. It is believed to have formed from the debris of a giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized body.
It takes 27.3 days to orbit the Earth, but as the Earth is also moving around the Sun, a full phase of the Moon as viewed from Earth takes 29.5 days. It rotates on its axis once per orbit of the Earth, so the same side of the Moon always faces towards us.
Its gravitational pull drives the tides on Earth, and its size and distance are just the right combination to cause a full eclipse when it passes between the Earth and the Sun.
Puzzle
Since this puzzle was first published, more sources have become available for the solution, but they don't always agree on the exact answers. So I've now listed the 'right' answers below as given on several sources. If you think you've worked out what to do, but are struggling to actually do it, please let me know and I'll be more than happy to help you out.
To find this cache, you need to work out its coordinates from these ones:
- N20 11.285 E030 46.485 or
N20 11.448 E030 46.302
- N29 06.000 W000 00.000
- N08 00.000 W064 00.000 or
N07 04.800 W064 22.200
- N01 24.945 E023 10.472 or
N01 24.600 E023 10.800
- S03 00.829 W023 25.158 or
S03 00.743 W023 24.754
- N00 28.400 W001 24.000 or
N00 29.400 W001 24.000
- S12 47.400 W002 21.600 or
S12 49.686 W002 23.304 or
S12 49.800 W002 22.200
- S12 53.990 W129 06.011 or
S15 30.000 W130 42.000
You can check your answer on this link, which will also give you a hint for the hiding location:
