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Transit of Mars - OK003F
A Transit of Mars, on Earth?
Owner: Amberel
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Altitude: 32 m. ASL.
 Region: United Kingdom (UK) > Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Cache type: Puzzle
Size: Micro
Status: Archived
Time required: 1:30 h    Distance to travel: 1.88 km
Date hidden: 14-07-2007
Date created: 25-08-2009
Date published: 25-08-2009
Last modification: 21-01-2020
3x Found
0x Not found
1 notes
watchers 0 watchers
10 visitors
2 x rated
Rated as: n/a
2 x recommended
This cache is recommended by: Amberel, Birding Bob
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Cache attributes

Available 24/7  Parking nearby  All seasons 

Please read the Opencaching attributes article.
Description EN

A Transit of Mars, on Earth?

Photo of Mars

Well, no, it's impossible, because a Transit of Mars could only be viewed from Jupiter or other body in the outer solar system, as described in this article in Wikipedia.

So why have I brought you to Slough Trading Estate? (I hope you have parked conveniently close to the published coordinates for this listing. If you understand the puzzle you'll be in the countryside for the nice walk soon!)

Photo of Mars Bar

Indeed, Slough Trading Estate is famously known as the place where Mars Bars are made, and that indeed is the Mars connection to this cache name. So, on to the Transit, which you will be delighted to know is a terrestrial syzygy and therefore perfectly possible and affordable to the average geocacher. No space tourism is required.

Let's make double sure that you are at the right spot: Ipswich Road, at a gap between the light industrial units on the north side of the road, new O2 headquarters to the south, a tree on each corner about you and a CCTV camera for you to wave at. If your GPSr has not quite got you there, you should be within eyeshot and able to get there. Needless to say, don't stand in the road.

The Slough Trading Estate is visible from miles around. Why? Look around you! You're just off the Transit.

Now get yourself onto the Transit which provides the first waypoint, W 000°37.845. Look for an oval aluminium plate bearing a 3 digit number - this is the latitude of the cache final coordinates, i.e. N 51°30.xxx. There is no need to leave the pavement.

Suitable parking for the final location is available at N 51°30.414 W 000°39.780, however, there is no point in going there until you understand the puzzle! Return walk is under 2 miles. Bring your binoculars even if you are not an ornithologist. Enjoy your walk and the cache. It's a stone that isn't a stone.

Photo of view near cache

As a footnote, you will appreciate that the beauty of the cache site is due largely to the abundance of wildlife. Please pay particular attention to the geocaching principle of "leave no trace" at this site and advise me of any adverse circumstances that you may find.

honesty-counter.cgi?df=gen.10353221.00009

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Log entries: Found 3x Not found 0x Note 1x All entries