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

Countdowns
By Space.com Staff
published

Huge Asteroid Vesta Actually an Ancient Protoplanet

Science/AAAS

The asteroid Vesta, the second largest in the asteroid belt, is actually a small proto-planet, a relic leftover from the birth of our solar sytem, scientists say. The discovery is one of many unveiled in a series of studies today. [Full Story]

NEXT: Oldest Mayan Astronomical Calendar Discovered

Oldest Mayan Astronomical Calendar Discovered

Heather Hurst, copyright National Geographic Society

The oldest-known version of the ancient Maya calendar has been discovered adorning a lavishly painted wall in the ruins of a city deep in the Guatemalan rainforest. [Full Story]

NEXT: Oldest Mayan Astronomical Calendar Discovered

Huge Dead Satellite May Be Space Junk for 150 Years

ESA

Now that the huge Envisat satellite has been declared dead, it becomes a huge and somewhat threatening piece of space junk. [Full Story]

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Space.com Staff
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.