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ASTEROID FLYBY: On Monday, March 6th, asteroid 2000 PN9 will fly past Earth. There's no danger of a collision with the mile-wide space rock, but it will be close enough (2 million miles) and bright enough (12th magnitude) for amateur astronomers to photograph using big backyard telescopes and CCD cameras: ephemeris.
JUPITER'S NEW RED SPOT: For centuries, the Great Red Spot has reigned supreme among storms on Jupiter. The anti-cyclone has 250 mph winds and is big enough to swallow two planet Earths. Jupiter has other storms, too, but none like the Great Red Spot.
Until now. A new red spot has appeared on Jupiter, about half the size of the original and nearly the same color. Amateur astronomer Christopher Go of the Philippines took its picture on February 27th:
"Red Jr." was born 6+ years ago when three smaller storms collided. (Many astronomers believe the Great Red Spot was born the same way--by merger.) At first the new storm was white, the color of its progenitors, but now it is turning red, a sign of intensification. Will Red Jr. eventually grow to rival the Great Red Spot--or remain junior? No one knows. But you can watch, because both red spots are big enough to see through backyard telescopes: sky map.
ALASKA AURORAS: On March 1st, when the temperature dropped to -40 degrees, "my camera equipment froze," says Terry Mann, but not before she captured this beautiful scene 50 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska:
The source of the display: A gentle solar wind gust hit Earth on March 1st. It was too weak to spark auroras in most places, but strong enough for Alaska, which is located beneath our planet's northern auroral oval. Alaska is truly aurora country.