Vote Now! Best Space Stories of the Week - May 13, 2012

Supermoon Squashed, Seat to Space Winner and What Mayan Calendars Say

ESA/NASA

From the winner of a seat to space to photos of the supermoon sinking, it's been a busy week in space. Vote for the week's best space story.

FIRST STOP: Rare Venus Transit of Sun in June to Amaze Skywatchers

Rare Venus Transit of Sun in June to Amaze Skywatchers

Imelda B. Joson and Edwin L. Aguirre

Your last chance to watch Venus cross the sun's face is less than a month away. [Full Story]

NEXT: Space Probe Fleet Would Search for Mars Life

Space Probe Fleet Idea Would Search for Mars Life

The Viking Project/NASA

A team of researchers has proposed a relatively cheap mission to look for signs of life on Mars. [Full Story]

NEXT: Secret Air Force X-37B Space Plane Mission a 'Spectacular Success'

Secret Air Force X-37B Space Plane Mission a 'Spectacular Success'

NASA/MSFC

The U.S. Air Force's secretive robotic X-37B space plane mission continues to chalk up time in Earth orbit, nearing 430 days of a spaceflight that — while classified — appears to be an unqualified success. [Full Story]

NEXT: Astronaut Sees Squashed 'Supermoon' From Space

Astronaut Sees Squashed 'Supermoon' From Space (Photos)

ESA/NASA

An astronaut in space snapped spectacular photos of the supermoon of May, including views of a squashed moon sinking behind the Earth's horizon. [Full Story]

NEXT: Ancient Mars Volcano Blast Hints at Wet History

Ancient Mars Volcano Blast Hints at Planet's Wet History

NASA/Georgia Tech

New research into an ancient Martian volcanic eruption suggests the Red Planet was once far wetter than it is today, with a much thicker atmosphere. [Full Story]

NEXT: Light from Alien Super-Earth Seen for 1st Time

Light from Alien Super-Earth Seen for 1st Time

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Light from an alien "super-Earth" twice the size of our own Earth has been detected by a NASA space telescope for the first time in what astronomers are calling a historic achievement. [Full Story]

NEXT: Scientists Should 'Cool It' on Alien Life Claims, Biologist Says

Scientists Should 'Cool It' on Alien Life Claims, Biologist Says

NASA, ESA, A. Schaller (for STScI)

Scientists and the media need to stop "crying wolf" about new life forms, says a prominent molecular biologist. [Full Story]

NEXT: Arizona Man Wins Free Trip to Space

Arizona Man Wins Free Trip to Space

Space Adventures/Space Race 2012

Greg Schneider won a free trip to suborbital space today, in the finale of the months-long Space Race 2012 competition. [Full Story]

NEXT: Shuttle Rocket Booster Maker to Launch Private Space Taxi by 2015

Shuttle Rocket Booster Maker to Launch Private Space Taxi by 2015

ATK

The Utah-based rocket company ATK announced today (May 9) that it aims to fly a crew-carrying rocket and spacecraft to low-Earth orbit by 2015. The Liberty launch system would use ATK's planned Liberty rocket and a new crew capsule capable of carrying seven astronauts into orbit. [Full Story]

NEXT: Mars Rover Opportunity Survives Harsh Martian Winter to Rove Again

Mars Rover Opportunity Survives Harsh Martian Winter to Rove Again

NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's Opportunity Mars rover has begun roving again, after waiting out the Martian winter at one spot for more than four months. [Full Story]

NEXT:Huge Asteroid Vesta Actually an Ancient Protoplanet

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.