'Blue River II' Hibiscus (Hibiscus x moscheutos) Has Pure White Flowers

Summary: 'Blue River II' hibiscus (Hibiscus x moscheutos), a cultivar of crimsoneyed rosemallow and halberdleaf rosemallow, has pure white flowers.

‘Blue River II’ hibiscus in the company of Cleome ‘Sparkler White,’ Evening Island, Chicago Botanic Garden, July 25, 2016: K M (cultivar413), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

'Blue River II' hibiscus (Hibiscus x moscheutos), a cross of New World native perennials crimsoneyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) and halberdleaf rosemallow (Hibiscus militaris), frames large, pure white flowers with blue-tinged, deep green foliage.

'Blue River II' hibiscus lays claim to stellar parentage as a cross of two cold-hardy, large-flowered, North American native hibiscus species. Both crimsoneyed rosemallow and halberdleaf rosemallow are popular in hibiscus hybridization programs.

Crimsoneyed rosemallow and halberdleaf rosemallow both proliferate natively across the central and eastern United States. Crimsoneyed rosemallow also claims native status in two southwestern states, New Mexico and Utah. For both species, their only nativity in Canada occurs in the east central province of Ontario.

Hibiscus ‘Blue River II’ puts forth stems that may attain sturdy heights of 4 to 5 feet (1.21 to 1.52 meters). A pleasing, shrubby spread tends to maximize at 2.5 to 3 feet (0.76 to 0.91 meters).

Alternate arrangements along stems characterize leaf growth. Large leaves are colored deep green and sometimes have blue tinges.

'Blue River II' hibiscus features a lengthy blooming period that stretches across two seasons, from midsummer to mid-autumn. Flowers open in July. Successive bloomings occur through September and may last until the first frost. Each flower opens ephemerally, for one full day.

Hibiscus 'Blue River II' has large flowers that are known as dinner-plate-sized flowers. Floral diameters may reach 10 inches (25.4 centimeters).

Five overlapping petals are pure white. The absence of a contrasting eye, at the base of the petals, heightens the flower’s showy whiteness and spotlights the prominent staminal column that is a noticeable feature of hibiscus flowers.

The thin-walled, staminal column, or stamen tube, arises from the flower’s center. The upper walls of the staminal column comprise fine filaments growing out from the column and ending in pollen encrusted anthers, which are male organs for generating pollen. The staminal column encloses a white style that branches at the column’s tip. The style’s branches are topped with stigma pads, which are female organs for accepting pollen.

Hibiscus ‘Blue River II’ thrives in moist, sunny environments. Preferred soil is acidic, with a pH level that is lower than 7.0. Yet, the stunning cultivar tolerates ordinary garden soil and partial shade.

'Blue River II' hibiscus enlivens private and public landscapes. The tall, shrubby cultivar’s large, showy, pure white flowers contrast pleasantly and vividly with blue-tinged, large green leaves.

Walters Gardens, Inc., a leading North American wholesale perennial grower based in Zeeland, southwestern Michigan, suggests 'Caesar’s Brother' Siberian iris (Iris sibirica ‘Caesar’s Brother’) and an ornamental grass, 'Cheyenne Sky' switchgrass (Panicum virgatum Prairie Winds® ‘Cheyenne Sky’), as companion plants for sharing niches with hibiscus ‘Blue River II.’

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s five-acre Evening Island features ‘Blue River II’ in the company of Cleome ‘Sparkler White’ (Cleome hassleriana ‘Sparkler White’) and ‘Shenandoah’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’). Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and the Theodore C. Butz Carillion Tower effectively frame the showy, white floral abundance of hibiscus ‘Blue River II.’

'Blue River II' hibiscus was introduced by Dr. Harold F. Winters,  a research horticulturist in the Crop Research Division at the U.S.D.A. (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, southern Maryland. The cultivar’s name derives from the population of halberdleaf rosemallow that the horticulturist found growing along southern Oklahoma’s Blue River. As a tributary of the Red River that flows from northern Texas and southwestern Oklahoma eastward and southward through Louisiana, the Blue River belongs to the Mississippi River watershed.

‘Blue River II’ hibiscus attests to the visual appeal of large, showy white flowers and blue-tinged, large green leaves.

Hibiscus ‘Blue River II’ (left foreground), with Cleome ‘Sparkler White,’ Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ and Pinus sylvestris (center, right background); Theodore C. Butz Carillon Tower (left background) on Evening Island, Chicago Botanic Garden, July 25, 2016: K M (cultivar413), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Kopper King’: K M (cultivar413), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/131880272@N06/22105530525/

Hibiscus ‘Blue River II’ in the company of Cleome ‘Sparkler White,’ Evening Island, Chicago Botanic Garden, July 25, 2016: K M (cultivar413), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/131880272@N06/28692932491/

Hibiscus ‘Blue River II’ (left foreground), with Cleome ‘Sparkler White,’ Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ and Pinus sylvestris (center, right background); Theodore C. Butz Carillon Tower (left background) on Evening Island, Chicago Botanic Garden, July 25, 2016: K M (cultivar413), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/131880272@N06/28154907193/

For further information:

“Blue River Hibiscus Hibiscus x ‘Blue River.’” Berry Nurseries > Perennials > Hibiscus.
Available @ http://www.berrynurseries.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/777/index.htm

“Blue River II Hibiscus.” Nature Hills Nursery Inc. > Perennials > Hibiscus.
Available @ https://www.chicagobotanic.org/downloads/planteval_notes/no4_hibiscus.pdf

“Hardy Hibiscus, Rose Mallow, Swamp Mallow ‘Blue River II’ Hibiscus moscheutos.” Dave’s Garden > Guides.
Available @ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/40888/

Hawke, Richard G. “Plant Evaluation Notes Hibiscus moscheutos Cultivars and Horticultural Hybrids.” Chicago Botanic Garden. December 1993.
Available @ https://www.chicagobotanic.org/downloads/planteval_notes/no4_hibiscus.pdf

“Hibiscus ‘Blue River II.’” Missouri Botanical Garden > Gardens & Gardening > Your Garden > Plant Finder.
Available @ http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=p320

“Hibiscus ‘Blue River II.’” Perennial Resource > Perennial Encyclopedia.
Available @ http://www.perennialresource.com/encyclopedia/view/?plant=422

“Hibiscus ‘Blue River II.’” Walters Gardens Inc. > Perennial Database.
Available @ http://www.waltersgardens.com/plants/view/?plant=422

Marriner, Derdriu. "Crimsoneyed Rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) Has White to Red Flowers." Earth and Space News. Saturday, July 23, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/crimsoneyed-rosemallow-hibiscus.html

Ronayne, Michael. “Heirloom Cold-Hardy Hibiscus Availability.” Dave’s Garden > Communities > Forums > Hibiscus. Sept. 25, 2009.
Available @ http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1041872/#b

Winters, Harold F. “Our Hardy Hibiscus Species as Ornamentals.” Economic Botany, vol. 24, no. 2 (April-June 1970): 155-164.
Available @ http://www.jstor.org/stable/4253137?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Available @ http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02860595

Hardy Hibiscus ‘Fantasia’ Has Profuse Lavender Ruffled Flowers

Summary: Hardy hibiscus ‘Fantasia,’ a compact perennial with profuse lavender ruffled flowers, is a hybrid of crimsoneyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos).

Hibiscus x moscheutos ‘Fantasia,’ garden of botanist Robert R. Kowal, Madison, south central Wisconsin: James Steakley, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hardy hibiscus ‘Fantasia,’ a hybrid of two cultivars of popular New World native crimsoneyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), frames its profuse lavender ruffled flowers with green, maple-cut leaves in a lengthy blooming period beginning as early as late spring or midsummer and ending in autumn.

Winter hardy hibiscus ‘Fantasia’ is a vigorous cultivar that withstands temperatures down to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 degrees Celsius). The cold-tolerant perennial is classified for  U.S.D.A. (U.S. Department of Agriculture) hardiness zones 4 to 11.

The exuberant cultivar prefers moisture and sunniness, but easily accepts ordinary garden soils and afternoon shadiness. ‘Fantasia’ is heat tolerant to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).

Stems arise from perennial roots and grow uprightly to about 3 feet (0.91 meters). The compact, uniformly-branched shrub spreads from 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.91 meters).

Arranged alternately along stems, leaves have maple-cut styling. Refined, three-lobed leaves are palmate (Latin: palmatus, “hand-shaped”) in youth and appear palmate to hastate (Latin: hastatus, “armed with a spear”) at maturity. Margins are somewhat serrulate (Latin: serrulatus, “little saw”).

The surface texture of leaves is glabrous (Latin: glaber, “hairless, smooth”). Leaf greenness has some luster.

Leaves mature to a length of about 4 inches (10.16 centimeters). Leaf width reaches about 3.25 inches (8.25 centimeters).

Leafstalks, known as petioles, that attach leaf blades to stems measure about 1.5 inches (3.81 centimeters) in length. Light green petioles acquire a pink blush in the autumn.

‘Fantasia’ maintains visual appeal by way of a lengthily interesting period for both flowers and foliage. Blooming may occur as early as late spring. Profuse blooming steadily continues from midsummer through autumn and stops with the first frost.

Each flowers lives ephemerally for one full day. Plentiful flower buds account for the lengthy blooming period of successive openings.

Flower buds emerge upward from stem midpoints. Each bud is borne singly in leaf axils, the junctures of leaves and stems. Buds have a diameter of 1 to 1.5 inches (2.54 to 3.81 centimeters) and a length of about 3 inches (7.62 centimeters).

Profuse lavender rippled flowers present medium-sized diameters of about 8 inches (20.32 centimeters). Each of a flower’s five petals measures a length of about 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) and a width of about 5.5 inches (13.97 centimeters).

The petals’ lavender coloration is considered a color break in crimsoneyed rosemallow’s usual color palette. Petals may display pink or gray hints. A reddish pink eye, at the base of the petals, has a diameter of about 2 inches (5.08 centimeters).

‘Fantasia’ results from a 40-year breeding program conscientiously followed at Fleming’s Flower Fields in Lincoln, southeastern Nebraska. Ancestry for ‘Fantasia’ traces to various crimsoneyed rosemallow seedlings.

The seed parent for ‘Fantasia’ is an unnamed cultivar produced by crossing Hibiscus ‘Dark Loveliness’ as seed parent with an unnamed crimsoneyed rosemallow as pollen parent. The pollen plant for ‘Fantasia’ is an unnamed crimsoneyed rosemallow.

The first blooming for hardy hibiscus ‘Fantasia’ occurred in summer 1985. On April 12, 1999, David W. Fleming and apprentice Gretchen Zwetzig filed a patent application for hardy hibiscus ‘Fantasia.’ Primary examiner Bruce R. Campbell and assistant examiner Wendy A. Baker conducted the review of the application’s claims. On May 1, 2001, the application for patent number US PP11,853 was granted.

Hardy hibiscus ‘Fantasia’ attests to the careful creativity of Fleming’s Flower Fields’ expertly designed hibiscus hybridization program. David Fleming passed away in 2001. As a Fleming apprentice since 1993, Gretchen Zwetzig purchased the nursery in order to continue the Fleming family’s legacy of outstanding hybridization.

The lovely lavender ruffled flowers and elegant maple-cut foliage of hardy hibiscus ‘Fantasia’ continue to command gracious attention in private and public settings.

Hibiscus 'Fantasia,' entire plant, just beginning to bloom; third of three images included in David W. Fleming and Gretchen A. Zwetzig’s patent application, filed April 12, 1999, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): color scans via Plant Patents Image Database, Engineering & Physical Science Library (USPTO designation: College Park Patent & Trademark Resource Center), University of Maryland, CC BY 2.0, via University of Maryland’s Plant Patents Image Database @ https://www.lib.umd.edu/plantpatents/binaries/11800/pp11853.pdf

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Hibiscus x moscheutos ‘Fantasia,’ garden of botanist Robert R. Kowal, Madison, south central Wisconsin: James Steakley, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hibiscus_moscheutos_%27Fantasia%27.jpg

Hibiscus 'Fantasia,' entire plant, just beginning to bloom; third of three images included in David W. Fleming and Gretchen A. Zwetzig’s patent application, filed April 12, 1999, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): color scans via Plant Patents Image Database, Engineering & Physical Science Library (USPTO designation: College Park Patent & Trademark Resource Center), University of Maryland, CC BY 2.0, via University of Maryland’s Plant Patents Image Database @ https://www.lib.umd.edu/plantpatents/binaries/11800/pp11853.pdf

For further information:

Fleming, David W., and James R. Fleming. “Hibiscus Plant Named ‘Fantasia.’” United States Patent and Trademark Office > Patent Images on the Web. May 1, 2001.
Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=PP011853

Garden Splendor® Plants. “Best Perennials  - Hibiscus ‘Fantasia’ (Rose Mallow).” YouTube. March 24, 2016.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBSfV5gsAOY

“Hibiscus ‘Fantasia.’ Missouri Botanical Garden > Gardens & Gardening > Your Garden > Plant Finder.
Available @ http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=z140

“Hibiscus ‘Fantasia’ PP11853.” Walters Gardens > Breeder Profile: The Fleming Brothers > Plant View.
Available @ http://www.waltersgardens.com/plants/view/?plant=417

“Hibiscus plant named ‘Fantasia.’ United States Patent and Trademark Office > Program in Word (PIW). May 1, 2001.
Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=PP011853

“Hibiscus x moscheutos Fleming’s Fantasia™.” Fleming’s Flower Fields.
Available @ https://www.flemingsflowers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/8/index.htm

Marriner, Derdriu. "Crimsoneyed Rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) Has White to Red Flowers." Earth and Space News. Saturday, July 23, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/crimsoneyed-rosemallow-hibiscus.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Floriferous Hardy Hibiscus 'Kopper King' Has Copper or Purple Leaves." Earth and Space News. Sunday, July 24, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/floriferous-hardy-hibiscus-kopper-king.html

Zwetzig, Gretchen. “The Hybridization of Flemings Flower Fields.” American Nurseryman > Growing. March 1, 2012.
Available @ http://www.amerinursery.com/growing/the-hybridization-of-flemings-flower-fields/

Fallen Astronauts Plaque and Sculpture at Southeastern Mare Imbrium

Summary: On Aug. 2, 1971, Apollo 15 Commander Scott and lunar module pilot Irwin left the Fallen Astronauts plaque and sculpture at southeastern Mare Imbrium.

closeup of plaque and sculpture, commemorating 14 deceased NASA astronauts and USSR cosmonauts, placed in lunar soil by Apollo 15 Commander “Dave” Scott and “Falcon” lunar module pilot “Jim” Irwin, Monday, Aug. 2, 1971: NASA, Public Domain, via NASA Spaceflight

Moongazers may remember that Aug. 2, 2016, marks the 45th anniversary of the placing of the Fallen Astronauts plaque and sculpture at southeastern Mare Imbrium by Apollo 15 Commander David Scott and lunar module pilot James Irwin.

On Monday, July 26, 1971, Apollo 15 was launched at 9:34 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (13:24 Coordinated Universal Time) from Kennedy Space Center at Merritt Island, east central Florida, as NASA's ninth manned mission to the moon. On Friday, July 30, 1971, after undocking at 18:13:16 UTC (2:13 p.m. EDT) from Command and Service Module (CSM) Endeavour, the Lunar Module (LM), named Falcon, descended to the lunar surface. At 22:16:29 UTC (6:16 p.m. EDT), LM Falcon touched down in the Hadley-Appenine region at the southeastern edge of Mare Imbrium on the near side of the moon.

The Hadley-Appenine region lies west of the rugged Montes Apenninus and east of the Hadley Rille, a sinuous channel-like depression. LM Falcon's landing site was on a dark mare, or lava-flooded plain, named Palus Putredinis (“Marsh of Decay”).

The third and last of three extravehicular activities (EVAs) took place Monday, Aug. 2, the Apollo 15 mission's third and last day on the lunar surface. EVA 3 took place northwest of the landing site, at the edge of Hadley Rille.

EVA 3 began at 8:52:14 UTC (4:52 a.m. EDT) and ended at 13:42:04 UTC (9:42 a.m. EDT). EVA 3's duration spanned 4 hours 49 minutes 50 seconds.

Before returning to LM Falcon via the rover, Commander David Randolph “Dave” Scott (born June 6, 1932) and LM Falcon pilot James Benson “Jim” Irwin (March 17, 1930-Aug. 8, 1991) placed a commemorative plaque listing 14 deceased astronauts. The Fallen Astronaut plaque is formatted as an alphabetical listing of eight NASA astronauts and six Soviet cosmonauts.

At around 13:17:36 UTC (9:17 a.m. EDT), Commander Scott placed a 3.375-inch (8.5-centimeter) aluminum statuette in front of the plaque. In accordance with Commander Scott's design specifications, Belgian painter and printmaker Paul Van Hoeydonck (born Oct. 8, 1925) had created the stylized statuette specifically for the lunar tribute.

Before leaving the site, Commander Scott photographed the Fallen Astronaut plaque and sculpture in the lunar soil.

The plaque comprises an alphabetical listing of the Fallen Astronauts. The plaque honors eight NASA astronauts:
Charles Arthur “Charlie” Bassett II (Dec. 30, 1931-Feb. 28, 1966);
Roger Bruce Chaffee (Feb. 15, 1935-Jan. 27, 1967);
Theodore Cordy “Ted” Freeman (Feb. 18, 1930-Oct. 31, 1964);
Edward Galen “Ed” Givens, Jr. (Jan. 5, 1930-June 6, 1967);
Virgil Ivan “Gus” Grisson (April 3, 1926-Jan. 27, 1967);
Elliot McKay See Jr. (July 23, 1927-Feb. 28, 1966);
Edward Higgins “Ed” White II (Nov. 14, 1930-Jan. 27, 1967);
Clifton Curtis “C.C.” Williams Jr. (Sept. 26, 1932-Oct. 5, 1967).

The plaque honors six Soviet cosmonauts:
Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev (June 26, 1925-Jan. 10, 1970);
Georgiy Timofeyevich Dobrovolsky (June 1, 1928-June 30, 1971);
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (March 9, 1934-March 27, 1968);
Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov (March 16, 1927-April 24, 1967);
Viktor Ivanovich Patsayev (June 19, 1933-June 30, 1971);
Vladislav Nikolayevich Volkov (Nov. 23, 1935-June 30, 1971).

The Fallen Astronaut plaque and sculpture are sited on the edge of the Mare Imbrium, a vast basaltic lava plain in the northwestern hemisphere of the near side of the moon. Mare Imbrium ("Sea of Showers") is a lunar feature that is visible to unaided eyes on Earth. The darkened feature, which lies, from a moon-based perspective, on the right side of the lunar disk is familiar to moongazers in the Northern Hemisphere as the Man in the Moon's right eye.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. houses a replica of the Fallen Astronaut statuette. The donation by artist Paul van Hoeydonck reminds viewers of the first and only artwork placed on the moon.

The takeaway for the Fallen Astronauts plaque and sculpture at southeastern Mare Imbrium is that the Man in the Moon's right eye hosts the resting place of the Fallen Astronauts plaque and sculpture.

Mare Imbrium, site of Fallen Astronaut plaque and sculpture, serves as the Man in the Moon's right eye, from moon-based perspective, or left eye, from Earth-based perspective: Bard Anton Zajac, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

closeup of plaque and sculpture, commemorating 14 deceased NASA astronauts and USSR cosmonauts, placed in lunar soil by Apollo 15 Commander “Dave” Scott and LM (Lunar Module) Falcon pilot “Jim” Irwin, Sunday, Aug. 1, 1971: NASA, Public Domain, via NASA Spaceflight @ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/apollo15/html/as15-88-11894.html

Mare Imbrium, site of Fallen Astronaut plaque and sculpture, serves as the Man in the Moon's right eye, from moon-based perspective, or left eye, from Earth-based perspective: Bard Anton Zajac, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Man_in_the_Moon_-_24_Dec_2015_-_original.jpg

For further information:

“Apollo 15 Mission.” USRA Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) > Lunar Science and Exploration Portal > Lunar Mission Summaries > Apollo 15 Mission > Landing Site.
Available @ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_15/landing_site/

“Apollo Imagery.” NASA Human Spaceflight > Gallery > Images > Apollo > Apollo 15.
Available @ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/apollo15/html/as15-88-11894.html

Eveleth, Rose. “There Is a Sculpture on the Moon Commemorating Fallen Astronauts.” Smithsonian Magazine > Smart News. Jan. 7, 2013.
Available @ http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-is-a-sculpture-on-the-moon-commemorating-fallen-astronauts-358909/?no-ist

Fuller, David. “Moon Maps.” Eyes on the Sky.
Available @ http://www.eyesonthesky.com/moon

Granath, Bob. “Fallen Astronauts Honored on Day of Remembrance.” NASA > Feature > NASA History. Jan. 28, 2016.
Available @ https://www.nasa.gov/feature/fallen-astronauts-honored-on-day-of-remembrance

Jones, Eric M. “Mission Summary: Mountains of the Moon.” NASA > Apollo Lunar Surface Journal > Apollo 15 Lunar Surface Journal > Mission Summary. Last revised Nov. 6, 2012.
Available @ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a15/a15.summary.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “June 2016's Waning Gibbous Moon Shows Mare Imbrium in Lunar Southwest.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, June 22, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/06/june-2016s-waning-gibbous-moon-shows.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “May 2016's Waning Gibbous Moon Shows Dark Mare Imbrium.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, May 25, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-2016s-waning-gibbous-moon-shows.html

Powell, Corey S.; Laurie Gwen Shapiro. “The Sculpture on the Moon.” Slate > Science > The State of the Universe. Dec. 16, 2013.
Available @ http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/12/sculpture_on_the_moon_paul_van_hoeydonck_s_fallen_astronaut.html

Scott, David; Alexei Leonov. Two Sides of the Moon: Our Story of the Cold War Space Race. New York NY: Thomas Dunne Books, 2004.

“Sculpture, Fallen Astronaut.” Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum > Collection Objects.
Available @ https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/sculpture-fallen-astronaut?object=nasm_A19860035000

Floriferous Hardy Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ Has Copper or Purple Leaves

Summary: Floriferous hardy hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ is a copper- or purple-leafed cultivar of New World native perennial crimsoneyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos).

Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Kopper King;’ pink and red streaks extending from red eye to petal edges impart pinkish cast to pure white petals: K M (cultivar413), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Floriferous hardy hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ is a copper- or purple-leaved cultivar of crimsoneyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), a New World perennial that is native to Canada and the United States.

‘Kopper King’ presents compact, vigorous growth with uniform branching. The hybrid hibiscus is cold hardy to U.S.D.A. (U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 4). ‘Kopper King’ maintains hardiness to at least minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 degrees Celsius).

‘Kopper King’ thrives in full to partial sunniness. The hardy hybrid displays the characteristic moisture preferences of hibiscus plants but also easily accepts ordinary garden soils.

‘Kopper King’ rises from perennial roots to heights of 31 to 42 inches (78.74 to 106.68 centimeters). The hardy hibiscus spreads to widths of 24 to 30 inches (60.96 to 76.2 centimeters).

Palmate (Latin: palmatus, “hand-shaped”) leaves appear in alternate arrangements. Ovate (Latin: ovatus, “egg-shaped”) leaves have three lobes as juveniles and mature with three to five lobes. Relatively smooth margins have occasional serrations.

The leafstalks that join the leaf blade to the stem are known as petioles (Latin: petiolus, “little foot”). Petioles measure lengths of about 2.5 inches (6.35 centimeters). Mature leaves have lengths of about 6.5 inches (16.5 centimeters), from petiole base to apex, or leaf tip. Mature width is about 5 inches (12.7 centimeters).

The leaves’ maple-style cut shows off the foliage’s even distribution of color. The coppery-colored upper surfaces of young leaves turns to burgundy with maturity.

Despite lateness in breaking dormancy in the spring, ‘Kopper King’ offers a floriferous, lengthy period of successive blooms. Flowers open in late spring or by midsummer. Blooming continues into the autumn and ends with the first frost.

Flower buds last for about one to two weeks. White-colored buds measure about 1.5 inches (3.81 centimeters) just before opening day.

Flowers are borne singly in leaf axils, the junctions between leafstalks and stems. The floral zone is upward from the midpoint of stems.

Dinner-plate-sized flowers each open for one full day. Floral diameter ranges from 8 to 12 inches (20.32 to 30.48 centimeters). Each of the five overlapping petals equally measure about 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) in length as well as in width.

A red center, or eye, at the throat, or opening at the base of the petals, has a diameter of about 2.5 inches (6.35 centimeters). Pink or red streaks extend across lightly ruffled white petals from the eye and sometimes reach petal edges.

A 40-year breeding program involving three generations of backcrossing produced ‘Kopper King.’ Backcrossing aims for a hybrid’s close genetic identity with a parent by crossing a hybrid with a parent or a genetically similar organism. An inbred seedling of ‘Dahliatown Orchid,’ a cultivar of crimsoneyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) selected as the pollen parent, was backcrossed with ‘Jazzmen,’ a hybrid of crimsoneyed rosemallow, scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus) and halberdleaf rosemallow (Hibiscus militaris).

‘Kopper King’ first bloomed as a successfully backcrossed cultivar during summer 1987. Ten subsequent years of propagation via cuttings and root division confirmed the new cultivar’s faithful transmission of its distinctive features.

On Nov. 3, 1997, David W. Fleming and James R. Fleming of Fleming’s Flower Fields Inc. in Lincoln, Nebraska, filed patent application number 963,542 for a floriferous, winter-hardy hibiscus plant. The brothers gave their new cultivar the name of ‘Kopper King’ (Hibiscus x moscheutos ‘Kopper King’) in recognition of the foliage’s coppery red vibrancy. On Feb. 16, 1999, the U.S. Patent Office, via patent examiner Howard J. Locker, granted patent number Plant 10,793 for hybrid hibiscus ‘Kopper King.’

The vibrant flowers and foliage of floriferous hardy hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ prettify private and public landscapes from late spring through autumn’s first frost.

Burgundy foliage and pink flower of Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Kopper King’ (foreground) show well with late summer’s brown flowers of oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Central Park’s Conservatory Garden, Fifth Avenue and 105th Street: K M, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Kopper King’: K M (cultivar413), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/131880272@N06/22105530525/

Burgundy foliage and pink flower of Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Kopper King’ (foreground) show well with late summer’s brown flowers of oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Central Park’s Conservatory Garden, Fifth Avenue and 105th Street: K M, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/131880272@N06/29066449662/

For further information:

Baenzier, P. Stephen, and Patricia Hain. “Advanced Backcross Breeding.” Plant & Soil Sciences eLibrary > Plant Breeding.
Available @ http://passel.unl.edu/pages/informationmodule.php?idinformationmodule=959723462&topicorder=2&maxto=7

Daulton, Kelsea. “Kopper King Hardy Hibiscus Dazzles With Dark Foliage and Gigantic Flowers.” Horticulture magazine > Plants > Plants We Love. July 29, 2014.
Available @ http://www.hortmag.com/plants/plants-we-love/kopper-king-hardy-hibiscus-dazzles-with-dark-foliage-and-gigantic-flowers

Fleming, David W., and James R. Fleming. “Hibiscus Plant Named ‘Kopper King.’” United States Patent and Trademark Office > Patent Images on the Web. Feb. 16, 1999.
Available @ http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=PP010793

Gill, Dan. “A hardy hibiscus with dinner-plate-sized flowers is a star of the summer garden.” The Times-Picayune > Louisiana Home and Garden. May 8, 2014.
Available @ http://www.nola.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2014/05/a_hardy_hibiscus_that_can_weat.html

“Hardy Hibiscus, Rose Mallow, Swamp Mallow ‘Kopper King’ Hibiscus moscheutos.” Dave’s Garden > Guides.
Available @ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/40919/#b

“Hibiscus ‘Kopper King.’ Missouri Botanical Garden > Gardens & Gardening > Your Garden > Plant Finder.
Available @ http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=z150

“Hibiscus plant named ‘Kopper King.’ Justia Patents. Nov. 3, 1997.
Available @ http://patents.justia.com/patent/PP10793

“Hibiscus x moscheutos Fleming’s Kopper King™.” Fleming’s Flower Fields.
Available @ https://www.flemingsflowers.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=6

Marriner, Derdriu. "Crimsoneyed (Hibiscus moscheutos) Rose Mallow Has White to Red Flowers." Earth and Space News. Saturday, July 23, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/crimsoneyed-rosemallow-hibiscus.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Edible Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus) Attracts Pollinators." Earth and Space News. Sunday, July 3, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/edible-scarlet-rose-mallow-hibiscus.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus) Has Showy Scarlet Flowers." Earth and Space News. Saturday, July 2, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/scarlet-rose-mallow-hibiscus-coccineus.html

McGroarty, Mike. “The One Plant That Could Change Your Life Forever.” Mike’s Backyard Nursery > Gardening. May 20, 2015.
Available @ http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/08/the-one-plant-that-could-change-your-life-forever/

Russ, Karen. “Hibiscus.” Clemson University > Cooperative Extension > Home & Garden Information Center (HGIC) > Landscape, Garden & Indoor Plants > Landscape Plants & Lawns > Flowers. December 2004. Last updated September 2007.
Available @ http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/flowers/hgic1179.html

“Swamp Rose Mallow Hibiscus moscheutos.” Illinois Wildflowers > Wetland Wildflowers.
Available @ http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/sw_rsmallow.htm

Crimsoneyed Rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) Has White to Red Flowers

Summary: Crimsoneyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is a New World native flowering plant with a long blooming period for its large white to red flowers.

Hibiscus moscheutos, Potomac Heritage Trail, Arlington County, northern Virginia: Fritzflohrreynolds, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Crimsoneyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), a New World shrubby, flowering perennial with a long period of successive bloomings of large white, pink or red flowers.

Hibiscus moscheutos claims New World homelands in North America. In Canada, Hibiscus moscheutos is native only in the east central province of Ontario. Canada has designed the normally robust perennial as special concern species since April 1987.

In the United States, crimsoneyed rosemallow is native to 30 of the Lower 48 states. Hibiscus moscheutos occurs natively in Atlantic Ocean states from Florida northward through Massachusetts and New York; in Gulf Coast states northward through Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and, skipping over Arkansas, through Missouri; northwestward through two of the American Southwest’s Four Corners states, New Mexico and Utah.

Preferred habitats revolve around the moisture and sunniness of wetland ecosystems. Hibiscus moscheutos thrives in floodplains and along riverbanks as well as in marshes and swamps.

Hibiscus moscheutos is commonly known as crimsoneyed rosemallow. Other common names include eastern rosemallow, hardy hibiscus, swamp rose-mallow and wild rose mallow.

Hibiscus moscheutos has two to four subspecies. The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), a partnership of North American governmental agencies with international taxonomic experts, agrees with the U.S. Forest Service in identifying Hibiscus moscheutos var. lasiocarpos and Hibiscus moscheutos var. moscheutos as crimsoneyed rosemallow’s two subspecies. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lists two additional subspecies: incanus and palustris.

Hibiscus moscheutos is especially amenable to hybridizing with three other native hibiscus species of eastern North America: coccineus, laevis and militaris. Hibiscus moscheutos also hybridizes well with swamp rose mallow, which is considered either as a distinct species (Hibiscus palustris) or as a subspecies (Hibiscus moscheutos ssp. palustris).

Crimsoneyed rosemallow’s great variability encourages a steady development of cultivars usually known as dinner plate hibiscuses because of their strikingly oversized flowers. In 2012, the London-based Royal Horticultural Society honored the ‘Southern Belle Group’ cultivar with its Award of Garden Merit (AGM), a mark of quality awarded annually since 1922. The award recognizes plants with reliable performance in gardens.

The perennial’s upright stems arise from a large, persistent, underground woody rootstock, known as a caudex. Large storage roots are attached to the caudex (Latin: “tree stem, tree trunk”).

Stems reach heights of 3 to 8 feet (1 to 2.5 meters). The number of stems emerging from a caudex may range from only a few to many.

Large leaves form alternate arrangements along stems. Broad leaves have lanceolate (Latin: lanceolatus, “lance-like”) or ovate (Latin: ovatus, “egg-shaped”) shapes, with serrated edges. Leaves measures lengths of 3.14 to 8.66 inches (8 to 22 centimeters) and widths of 3.14 to 5.9 inches (8 to 15 centimeters).

Foliage typically has a light or medium green coloring. Yet some cultivars put forth bronze or purple colored leaves. Introduced by Fleming’s Flower Fields in 1997, Hibiscus x moscheutos ‘Kopper King’ presents dramatic leaf colorings of bronze-green in youth and burgundy at maturity.

Individually, flowers are ephemeral, with opening and closing lasting only one or two days. Yet, successively blooming new flowers account for a lengthy blooming period that may extend from May through October.

Large flowers open as five overlapped petals. Petal coloring may be pink, red or white.  Flowers typically feature a red or reddish purple throat, the opening of the calyx tube, which bears sepals and stamens, at the base of the petals. Coloring of each flower’s five sepals ranges from light to yellowish green.

Fruits are globular or egg-shaped capsules. Hard-coated seeds measure diameters of less than 0.11 inches (3 millimeters).

Crimsoneyed rosemallow attests to the beauty of wetland dwelling plants.

closeup of Hibiscus moscheutos foliage and calyces with fruit, or seedpod, split open to reveal seeds, Martin Creek State Park: Michael Gras, M.Ed (mikegras), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Hibiscus moscheutos, Potomac Heritage Trail, Arlington County, northern Virginia: Fritzflohrreynolds, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hibiscus_moscheutos_-_Crimsoneyed_Rosemallow.jpg

closeup of Hibiscus moscheutos foliage and calyces with fruit, or seedpod, split open to reveal seeds, Martin Creek State Park: Michael Gras, M.Ed (mikegras), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikegras/15122268297/

For further information:

Fleming, G.P.; P.P. Coulling; K.D. Patterson; K. Taverna. The Natural Communities of Virginia: Classification of Ecological Community Groups. Second approximation. Version 2.2. 2006.
Available @ http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/ncintro

Gill, Dan. “A Hardy Hibiscus with Dinner-Plate-Sized Flowers is a Star of the Summer Garden.” The Times-Picayune > Louisiana Home and Garden. May 8, 2014.
Available @ http://www.nola.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2014/05/a_hardy_hibiscus_that_can_weat.html

“Hardy Hibiscus, Rose Mallow, Swamp Mallow ‘Kopper King’ Hibiscus moscheutos.” Dave’s Garden > Guides.
Available @ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/40919/#b

“Hibiscus moscheutos (crimson-eyed rosemallow).” National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) > Taxonomy.
Available @ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?lin=s&p=has_linkout&id=241598

“Hibiscus moscheutos L.” Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) > Report.
Available @ http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=21612

“Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Luna Red.’” Missouri Botanical Garden > Plant Finder.
Available @ http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b492

“Hibiscus moscheutos (Southern Belle Group).” Missouri Botanical Garden > Gardens & Gardening > Your Garden > Plant Finder.
Available @ http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e950

Kirkegaard, John. A Practical Handbook of Trees, Shrubs, Vines and Herbaceous Perennials. Boston MA: The Bullard Co., 1912.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/practicalhandbo00kirk/

Knox, Gary W., and Rick Schoellhorn. “Hardy Hibiscus for Florida Landscapes.” University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Extension/Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS). October 2005. Last reviewed February 2014.
Available @ http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep245

Lounsberry, Alice. A Guide to the Wild Flowers. With sixty-four coloured and one hundred black-and-white plates and fifty-four diagrams. New York NY: Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1899.
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://archive.org/details/guidetowildflowe00lounrich

Marriner, Derdriu. "Edible Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus) Attracts Pollinators." Earth and Space News. Sunday, July 3, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/edible-scarlet-rose-mallow-hibiscus.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus) Has Showy Scarlet Flowers." Earth and Space News. Saturday, July 2, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/scarlet-rose-mallow-hibiscus-coccineus.html

McGroarty, Mike. “The One Plant That Could Change Your Life Forever.” Mike’s Backyard Nursery > Gardening. May 20, 2015.
Available @ http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/08/the-one-plant-that-could-change-your-life-forever/

New York Botanical Garden. Addisonia: Colored Illustrations and Popular Descriptions of Plants. Vol. 3. New York NY: New York Botanical Garden, 1918.
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4506051

Reeves, Sonja L. “Hibiscus moscheutos.” US Forest Service > Database > Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) > Plants > Forb. 2008.
Available @ http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/hibmos/all.html

“RHS AGM Listing December 2015 (Ornamentals).” Royal Horticultural Society > Plants > PDFs ? Award of Garden Merit Lists.
Available @ https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals

Richey, Holli. “Eat your rose of Sharon, hibiscus, hollyhocks.” Athens Banner-Herald > Urban Forager. July 25, 2010.
Available @ http://onlineathens.com/stories/072510/liv_682592937.shtml#.V9m_cvkrLcs

Russ, Karen. “Hibiscus.” Clemson University > Cooperative Extension > Home & Garden Information Center (HGIC) > Landscape, Garden & Indoor Plants > Landscape Plants & Lawns > Flowers. December 2004. Last updated September 2007.
Available @ http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/flowers/hgic1179.html

Sargeaunt, John. The Trees, Shrubs, and Plants of Virgil. New York NY: Longmans Green and Co.; Oxford, UK: B.H. Blackwell, 1920.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/treesshrubsplant00sargrich

Snow, Allison A.; Timothy P. Spira; Hong Liu. “Effects of sequential pollination on the success of ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ pollen donors in Hibiscus moscheutos (Malvaceae).” American Journal of Botany, vol. 87, no. 11 (November 2000): 1656-1659.
Available @ http://www.amjbot.org/content/87/11/1656.full

“Swamp Rose-mallow.” Canada Species at Risk Public Registry > Species List. Last modified Sept. 9, 2016.
Available @ http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=266

“Swamp Rose Mallow Hibiscus moscheutos.” Illinois Wildflowers > Wetland Wildflowers.
Available @ http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/sw_rsmallow.htm

van Houtte, Louis. Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l’Europe, Journal Général d’Horticulture. Gand, Belgium: Louis van Houtte, 1857.
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27803588

Rare Simultaneous Mercury and Venus Transits Will Occur July 26, 69163

Summary: Computer programmer John Walker finds that rare simultaneous Mercury and Venus transits will occur July 26, 69163.

Mercury's May 9, 2016, transit (left); Venus's June 5-6, 2012, transit; images captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO); Mercury transit, public domain, via NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's SDO; Venus transit, CC BY 2.0, via NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr

On his website, Fourmilab Switzerland, computer programmer John Walker shares that rare simultaneous Mercury and Venus transits, in front of the sun and visible from Earth, will occur July 26, 69163.

The back-to-back transits of Mercury, Wednesday, May 7, 2003, and Venus, Tuesday, June 8, 2004, triggered a complicated question for John Walker.

The co-founder of Autodesk Inc., an American multinational software corporation, wondered: “Is there ever a simultaneous transit of Mercury and Venus visible from Earth?”

The passage in front of the solar disc, by a planet nearer to the sun, that is visible to a more distant planet occasions a planetary transit. Only planetary transits by Mercury and Venus are visible to Earth-based observers.

Walker's tantalizing question superficially may seem an impossibility. Presently, Mercury's transits happen in May and November. Venus's transits occur in June and December.

The bigger view, however, considers the evolution of planets' orbits over time. So Walker began his search for the proposed, exceptionally rare event of simultaneous Mercury and Venus transits within the framework of a quarter-million years beginning with the Common Era.

During his investigations, Walker discovered that astronomical algorithm expert Jean Meeus (born Dec. 12, 1928) and numerical integration expert Aldo Vitagliano had posed the same question and had already found the answer. By continuing his own research, with reference to high-precision numerical integration expert Stephen L. “Steve” Moshier's code for the solar system, Walker arrived at an independent confirmation of Meeus and Vitagliano's results.

Walker shares that astronomers know the date, according to barycentric dynamic time (TDB), as Julian day 26982533. The relativistic coordinate time scale takes into account time dilation in calculating ephemerides, or astronomical positions, and orbits for solar system objects.

Walker notes that the rare simultaneous Mercury and Venus transits are, indeed, highly unusual. The event's uniqueness is logged at once in a quarter-million years.

The rare simultaneity of the Mercury and Venus transits July 26, 69163, does not last long. Venus's transit begins before Mercury's transit. Venus's transit, which takes place across the solar disc's lower quarter, lasts 6 hours 43 minutes. Mercury's transit, which passes through the crescent of the solar disc's bottom limb, or edge, lasts 2 hours 24 minutes. Simultaneity endures for 43 minutes, from 19:12 to 19:55 Coordinated Universal Time (3:12 to 3:55 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time).

Four contact points mark the progress of planetary transits. The first two, Contacts I and II, pinpoint initial external and internal adjacencies. Contact I identifies initial external adjacency of the planet's leading edge to the solar disc's outside limb. Contact II marks initial internal adjacency of the planet's trailing edge to the solar disc's inside limb.

The second set of contact points pinpoints final internal and external adjacencies on the solar disc's opposite side. Contact III registers internal adjacency of the planet's leading edge to the solar disc's inside limb. Contact IV indicates external adjacency of the planet's trailing edge to the solar disc's outside limb.

Venus's transit begins with Contact I at 13:12 UTC (9:12 a.m. EDT). Contact II occurs at 13:27 UTC (9:27 a.m. EDT).

Mercury's transit begins with Contact I at 19:12 UTC (3:12 p.m. EDT). Contact II takes place at 19:27 UTC (3:27 p.m. EDT).

At 19:41 UTC (3:41 p.m. EDT), 14 minutes after Mercury's clocking of Contact II, Venus reaches Contact III.

At 19:55 UTC (3:55 p.m. EDT), Venus clocks Contact IV.

One hour 27 minutes later, at 21:22 UTC (5:22 p.m. EDT), Mercury registers Contact III.

Fourteen minutes later, at 21:36 UTC (5:36 p.m. EDT), Mercury reaches Contact IV.

The search for the rare simultaneous Mercury and Venus transits, conducted independently by the Meeus-Vitagliano and Walker-Moshier teams, yielded a positive result. The event's rarity, however, precludes the satisfaction of its occurrence within the researchers' lifetimes.

The takeaway for the rare simultaneous Mercury and Venus transits that will occur July 26, 69163, is the hope that, in the farthest reaches of future time, there will be Earthlings who will look upon the rare event, with proper solar filters, and be amazed by the once-in-a-quarter-million-years' phenomenon.

simultaneous Mercury and Venus transits, July 26, 69163: John Walker, Public Domain, via Fourmilab Switzerland

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Mercury's May 9, 2016, solar transit; NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory image taken in wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory, Public Domain, via NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Solar Dynamics Observatory @ http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/potw/item/713

ultra high-definition image of Venus's June 5 to 6, 2012 transit; image captured June 6; NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/7343985500/

simultaneous Mercury and Venus transits, July 26, 69163: John Walker, Public Domain, via Fourmilab Switzerland @ http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/canon_transits/movies/a26982532.gif

For further information:

Marriner, Derdriu. "After May 9, 2016, Next Mercury Solar Transit Happens November 2019." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, May 18, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/05/after-may-9-2016-next-mercury-solar.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "May 9, 2016, Mercury Solar Transit Takes Seven and One-Half Hours." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, May 4, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/05/may-9-2016-mercury-solar-transit-takes.html

Meeus, Jean; Aldo Vitagliano. “Simultaneous Transits.” The Journal of the British Astronomical Association, vol. 114, no. 3 (June 2004).

Moshier, Steve. “Numerical Integration of Sun, Moon, and Planets.” Steve Moshier.net: Astronomy and Numerical Software Source Codes.
Available @ http://www.moshier.net/ssystem.html

Reim, Bernie. “What's Up in May?” Skylights: Newsletter of the Astronomical Society of Northern New England (ASNNE). May 2016.
Available @ http://www.asnne.org/skylights/MAY2016.pdf

Sinnott, Roger W. "Will Mercury and Venus Ever Transit the Sun Simultaneously?" Sky and Telescope > Astronomy Resources > Astronomy Q&A. July 19, 2006.
Available @ http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/astronomy-questions-answers/will-mercury-and-venus-ever-transit-the-sun-simultaneously/

“Systems of Time.” United States Naval Observatory Time Service Department.
Available @ http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/systime.html

Walker, John. “Calendar Converter.” Fourmilab Switzerland. September MMXV (2015).
Available @ https://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/calendar/

Walker, John. “Quarter Million Year Canon of Solar System Transits.” Fourmilab Switzerland.
Available @ http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/canon_transits/

Walker, John. “Sic Transit Glorious Venus: Transit of Venus June 8th, 2004.” Fourmilab Switzerland > Images. June 8, 2004. Revised June 23, 26, 2006.
Available @ http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/venus_transit_2004/

Walker, John. “Transit of Mercury May 7th, 2003.” Fourmilab Switzerland > Images. May 2003.
Available @ http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/mercury_transit_2003/

Webb, Brian. “Coordinated Universal Time.” Space Archive.
Available @ http://spacearchive.info/utc.htm