OBSERVATORY RM 1 (JV4124) - Gaithersburg, MD
Posted by: 
Ernmark
N 39° 08.193 W 077° 11.913
18S E 309980 N 4334231
A horizontally-adjusted Reference Mark located in a park which contains 5 survey marks and is the site of an observatory which was used to measure the wobble of the Earth on its axis.
Waymark Code: WMNTFT
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 04/30/2015
Views: 6
Disk is about 10' SW of a bench & no longer is below grade. It is currently surrounded by a circle of gravel about 5' in diameter.
Note - the other 4 disks in this park are located in these little 'pull-offs' along the trail ...which incidentally is meant to simulate the path of the Earth's wobble.
These disks have also managed to get themselves listed in the National Register of Historic Places when the observatory was added in 1985 - see photo of the plaque.
Recovery information from the NGS datasheet is as follows:
01/01/1980 by NGS (MONUMENTED)
01/01/1986 by NGS (GOOD)
DESCRIBED BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1986 (MRM) THE STATION WAS RECOVERED AT THIS DATE, IN GOOD CONDITION, AS DESCRIBED IN TI 4100 GPS SURVEYS - FGCC TEST NETWORK, MAY 1985. FAA AIRPORT SURVEYS, MARYLAND, JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1986. THIS STATION SUITABLE FOR GPS SURVEYS. DESCRIBED BY R.W. MCALLISTER.
01/01/1986 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1986 IN GAITHERSBURG. IN GAITHERSBURG, ON THE GROUNDS OF THE C AND GS LATITUDE OBSERVATORY, 60 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE EDGE OF THE OBSERVATORY YARD, 56 FEET SOUTHEAST OF A POWERLINE POLE AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE OBSERVATORY BUILDING, 50.2 FEET EAST OF A FLAGPOLE, AND 15 FEET EAST OF THE CENTER OF A CIRCLE DRIVE SURROUNDING OBSERVATORY.
03/02/1990 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1990 RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
07/25/1990 by WSSC (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY WASH SUBURB SAN COMM 1990 THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 7.4 KM (4.6 MI) NORTHWEST OF ROCKVILLE, 11.4 KM (7.1 MI) WSW OF OLNEY AND 7.6 KM (4.7 MI) SOUTHEAST OF GERMANTOWN IN THE CITY OF GAITHERSBURG. TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE ROUTE 355 BRIDGE OVER THE CSX RAILROAD TRACKS IN GAITHERSBURG, GO SOUTH ON ROUTE 355 0.5 KM (0.3 MI) TO DESELLUM AVENUE, TURN RIGHT AND GO WEST 0.24 KM (0.15 MI) TO ITS APPARENT END. CONTINUE WEST ON A NARROW ROUGH SERVICE ROAD 0.16 KM (0.10 MI) TO THE STATION ON LEFT, 4.0 M (13.1 FT) EAST OF THE CENTERLINE OF THE DRIVE. OWNERSHIP--CITY OF GAITHERSBURG THE STATION MARK IS A STANDARD NGS REFERENCE MARK DISK STAMPED OBSERVATORY 1966 NO 1 1980 SET IN THE TOP OF A SQUARE CONCRETE MONUMENT RECESSED 0.1 M (0.3 FT) IN THE GRASS. IT IS 15.26 M (50.07 FT) EAST OF A FLAG POLE, 36.16 M (118.63 FT) ESE OF THE NORTH CORNER OF A BRICK HOUSE AND 25.41 M (83.37 FT) NORTHEAST OF THE EAST CORNER OF A BLOCK GARAGE AND 51.41 M (168.65 FT) ESE OF OBSERVATORY 1966.
06/08/1992 by (GOOD)
RECOVERED 1992 RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
Condition: Mark found in good condition
Designation: OBSERVATORY RM 1
Benchmark Agency: National Geodetic Survey
Monumentation type: REFERENCE MARK Disk
County: Montgomery County
USGS 7.5' Topographic Quadrangle Name (optional): Gaithersburg
Find type: Coordinates and/or to-reach information from the NGS database (or Geocaching's copy of it) were used
Web address of this benchmark's datasheet (optional): [Web Link]
NGS PID: JV4124
Local database's URL (optional): [Web Link]
Benchmark Agency (if other): Not listed
Monumentation type (if other): Not listed
Special category (optional): Not listed
Special Category (if other): Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
- A closeup photo of the mark taken by you is required.
- A 'distant' photo including the mark in the view is highly recommended. Include the compass direction you faced when you took the picture.