Vote Now! Top Space Stories of the Week - Dec. 2, 2012

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It's Official! Water Ice Discovered on Mercury

NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington/National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo Observatory

The MESSENGER spacecraft has found evidence of frozen water and organic materials in areas of permanent shadow on the planet Mercury. [Full Story]

NEXT: North Star Closer to Earth Than Thought

North Star Closer to Earth Than Thought

Left image: M. Menefee; Right: N. Carboni; Assembly: D. Majaess

The famed North Star has been a beacon in the night sky throughout human history, but a new study reveals the star is actually closer to our solar system than previously thought. [Full Story]

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Space.com Staff
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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.