Kids News - Articles for Grades 6-8

NASA’s Near Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program has discovered and cataloged over 15,000 Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) since they began scouring the skies in 1998. However, every now and again, one manages to escape their powerful telescopes and keen eyes. This was certainly the case with asteroid 2017 BS32, which was discovered on January 30 just three days before its close encounter with Earth....

As is the case every February 2, thousands of people gathered at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania early in the morning to witness legendary groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predict the length of this year’s winter. Given the gloomy weather and scattered snow showers, it appeared highly unlikely that the animal would see his shadow, the indication of an extended winter....

On February 5, an estimated 188.9 million Americans will tune in to watch the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots compete for the coveted title of National Football League Champion. Some will do it for the genuine love of the game, others to watch the half-time show or commercials that are a spectacle in their own right. However, for most people, it is an opportunity to either host or attend a party and socialize with family and friends....

Pichaporn Sapsittiporn and Sasinuch Lapwongpaiboon, who co-own the i-Creamy Artisan Gelato shop in Sydney, Australia, take great pride in creating some of the tastiest gelato using the best possible ingredients. However, the award-winning Asian-inspired flavors are not the only reason people line up outside the creamery, even on cold winter nights. They are also here to admire and devour the beautiful gelato roses that are crafted before their eyes....

For many of us, the mere thought of wiggling fingers approaching our rib cage or moving towards our underarms is enough to elicit squeals of laughter and giggles. However, while we all know that tickling makes us happy, Michael Brecht, a professor at Berlin’s Humboldt University, says, it is “one of the most poorly understood forms of touch.”...

When geologists from the University of Toronto discovered water dating back 1.5 billion years at the Kidd Mine in Ontario, Canada, in 2013, they thought they had hit the jackpot. However, digging further inside the world’s deepest base metal mine led to an even bigger discovery — water that has been locked in the earth’s crust for at least 2 billion years!...

At the recent Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Korean car manufacturer Hyundai unveiled three battery-powered Iron Man-inspired robotic suits. Though the stylish exoskeletons developed as part of the company’s “Next Mobility” initiative, will not enable users to soar in the skies like the superhero, it will give them earthly “super powers” like mobility, strength, and endurance....

Mention the word refugees, and the image that comes to mind is that of humans that have been forced to leave their countries due to war, persecution or natural disaster. Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, is facing a different kind of refugee crisis – one caused by the hundreds of thousands of elephants that have fled their homelands to escape ruthless poachers....

On Saturday, January 28, Chinese communities around the world will begin a two-week celebration to usher in the Chinese New Year. Also called the Spring Festival, the holiday whose dates are determined by the lunar calendar, is the grandest and most famous of all Chinese festivals. To enable residents to be with their families and friends, most employers in China give their workers at least seven days of vacation. Schools and universities are closed for an entire month....