Vote Now! Top Space News of the Week - Feb. 24, 2013

Possible Dark Matter Detection, Lunar Water Theory Challenged and More

CERN/CMS/Taylor, L; McCauley, T

Last week’s discovery of water in moon rock samples challenged a longstanding theory, a space station study could have detected dark matter and more. See the top stories of the last week here.

FIRST STOP: Has Dark Matter Finally Been Found? Big News Coming Soon

Has Dark Matter Finally Been Found? Big News Coming Soon

NASA

The first science results from the space station-based Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer are expected soon, and may or may not indicate a detection of dark matter annihilation.[Full Story]

NEXT: Apollo Moon Rocks Challenge Lunar Water Theory

Apollo Moon Rocks Challenge Lunar Water Theory

NASA/Johnson Space Center

The discovery of "significant amounts" of water in moon rock samples collected by NASA's Apollo astronauts is challenging a longstanding theory about how the moon formed, scientists say.[Full Story]

NEXT: Russia Meteor Blast Was Largest Detected by Nuclear Monitoring System

Russia Meteor Blast Was Largest Detected by Nuclear Monitoring System

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization

A far-flung system of detectors that make up a Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) network made its largest ever detection when a meteor broke up over Russia’s Ural mountains last week. [Full Story]

NEXT: 'Vulcan' Warps Into Lead in Pluto Moon Name Contest

'Vulcan' Warps Into Lead in Pluto Moon Name Contest

NASA

As the Pluto moon naming contest run by SETI is drawing to a close, William Shatner’s favorite, Vulcan, is picking up steam. It has moved into first place with more than 100,000 votes. [Full Story]

NEXT: Found! Tiny Moon-Size Alien World Is the Smallest Exoplanet

Found! Tiny Moon-Size Alien World Is the Smallest Exoplanet

NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech

Astronomers have discovered a tiny alien planet called Kepler-37b that is smaller than Mercury, making it the smallest alien planet ever seen. [Full Story]

NEXT: Curiosity Rover to Eat Mars Rock Dust After Drilling Success

Curiosity Rover to Eat Mars Rock Dust After Drilling Success

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has beamed home photos confirming that it recovered samples from deep within a Red Planet rock, cementing the robot's place in exploration history. [Full Story]

NEXT: US Military's Robot Space Plane Settles Into Mystery Mission

US Military's Robot Space Plane Settles Into Mystery Mission

NASA/MSFC

The U.S. Air Force’s X-37B, a robotic space plane used to fly classified payloads into Earth orbit, is quietly chalking up mileage after its Dec. 11 launch. It has even been spotted in space.[Full Story]

NEXT: Want to Smell Space? Sniff a Cosmic Candle

Want to Smell Space? Sniff a Cosmic Candle

ThinkGeek.com

The nerdy toy makers at ThinkGeek used input from scientists to create a candle that smells like space.[Full Story]

NEXT: Is Millionaire Space Tourist Planning Trip to Mars?

Is Millionaire Space Tourist Planning Trip to Mars?

NASA/ESA

Buzz is building about a planned 2018 private mission to Mars, which may launch the first humans toward the Red Planet. [Full Story]

NEXT: Astronomer Sleuths Find Clues to 100-Year-Old Meteor Mystery

Astronomer Sleuths Find Clues to 100-Year-Old Meteor Mystery

University of Toronto Archives/Natalie McMinn

On the 100 year anniversary of a strange meteor procession that spanned a quarter of the Earth, astronomers have finally tracked down the path of the meteors over Canada and down as far as Brazil. [Full Story]

NEXT: Why the Higgs Boson May Seal Fate of the Universe

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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.