Mars is the fourth planet from our Sun in the solar system, averaging 1.5 astronomical units (AU, where 1 AU is the mean Earth-Sun distance) from the Sun. If you found the Sun cache and still have the coordinates, you will find it is approximately 1.5 miles from this cache.
A little more than half the size of Earth, Mars is terrestrial body, a member of the group of inner planets known as the Rocky Worlds. Of all the planets in our solar system, Mars has probably had the most visitations by spacecraft from Earth. From flybys to orbiters to landers to rovers, we probably know more about Mars than any other planet in the system.
Mars has some of the most unusual terrain of all the planets in the solar system. It boasts the largest volcanic mountain (Olympus Mons, at 78,000 feet it is so tall that it pokes out of Mars’ atmosphere! and is guarded by a 20,000 foot tall cliff at its base), Valles Marineris (a system of canyons 4000 kilometers long and ranging from 2-7 kilometers deep), Tharsis (a huge bulge on the Martian surface about 4000 kilometers across and 10 kilometers high), and Hella Planitia (an impact crater over 2000 kilometers across and 6 kilometers deep).
Mars has a thin atmosphere composed primarily of carbom dioxide, nitrogen, argon, with traces of oxygen and water. The average air pressure on Mars is less than 1% that of Earth’s, yet it is thick enough to support incredible winds and enormous dust storms that have been known to engulf the entire planet for months at a time.
Unlike Earth, Mars does not possess a global magnetic field, so high energy particles and radiation from the Sun constantly blast the surface of the planet. It does have localized magnetic fields locked into areas of the crust, but they are not strong enough to protect the entire planet from the harmful energies of the Sun. These weak magnetic fields are most likely remnants from a time when Mars did have a spinning dynamo for a core that would have created a global magnetic field.
Mars possesses ice caps at its poles. These ice caps are composed of water ice and solid carbon dioxide. The ice caps can be seen to shrink and grow with the changing seasons by not only the orbiters around the planet, but from Earth-based telescopes as well.
Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos. They are tiny things, barely 22 and 12 kilometers in diameter, respectively. They are likely captured asteroids from the asteroid belt.
The Great Mars Hoax One thing you should be aware of with respect to Mars is the infamous Mars Hoax that is spread across the internet every year since the real event happened. In August of 2003 Mars and Earth were at their closest approach to one another in their orbits, something that hasn’t happened in some 60,000 years (give or take). At this time Mars appeared 6 times larger and 85 times brighter than it normally does (note: a dot in the sky 6 times larger is not going to be THAT much larger to the naked eye!). Similar close approaches with Earth and Mars happen every 15-17 years, though not quite as close as it did in 2003. And it did not appear that much larger/brighter then than it does during the other close approach times.
The internet hoax would have you believe otherwise. Be aware of it, beware of it, and when someone passes it on to you next year (or the year after), with its claims that “Mars will be as big as the moon”, or some such, do a little research into this. The internet is at your disposal. You can find all the facts about Mars you want for any given year by doing your own searches for credible sites. You can always try snopes.com for the story if you want to pass it back to the person who sent you the hoax.
The cache you are about to seek is an orange M&M tube (similar color to the nearby survey marker post). It does not contain a writing instrument; byop. Please rehide it as you find it. There are not a lot of hide options in this area, but it should be hidden so that it is completely covered (no orange to be seen).
There is parking available on the wide shoulder of Guilford road. Exercise good judgement and pull over as far as you can. You should have plenty of room. Do not approach from (or park on) Rt 32.