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R.I.P. Pluto Traditional Geocache

Hidden : 2/8/2024
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:


 

Pluto, we hardly knew ya'.  RIP -- Revolve in Peace.

Once a planet, now merely a dwarf planet.  That's okay.  We still love and miss you.

There used to be a mnemonic for remembering the planets:  "Mary's Very Extravagant Mother Just Sent Us Ninety Parakeets" (and many other variations).

Then, in 2006, you were demoted from planet status to dwarf planet.  Along with your other friends in the Kuiper belt, you were too small to hold your own with the likes of Neptune and Uranus.  If we laid you and your large moon Charon side-by-side over the continental US, we would still have to drive to get to the Jersey Shore or the Golden Gate Bridge.

So what do we do now without the parakeets?  "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos" simply doesn't have the same ring.

Be encouraged.  The Kuiper belt where you live (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuiper_belt) remains an incredibly rich area of astronomical inquiry.

Even more importantly, there is still much to love and enjoy about you, Pluto:  https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-pluto/en/ (definitely worth visiting for kids and adults alike!)

As you log this cache, may you be aware of how small you are in the greater universe we inhabit, and be humbled.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Abg qverpgyl npprffvoyr sebz V-68

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)