Kids News - Articles for Grades 9-10

As if being downgraded to dwarf planet status was not enough, Pluto may now be in danger of losing its wispy atmosphere by 2030. The dire prediction comes from a 28-year study of the small celestial body, which lies at the edge of our solar system, by a team of international researchers led by University of Tasmania astronomer Andrew Cole....

Every year on Mother's Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday, May 12, 2019, Americans honor the real-life superheroes in their lives with special treats and extravagant gifts. Hence, it is not surprising to hear that Mother's Day is the third-largest US retail holiday, behind only the winter holidays and back-to-school season. According to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF), this year, the spending will escalate to a record $25 billion, up substantially from the $23.1 billion earned by retailers in 2018....

After being eradicated for over 19 years, measles is making a comeback in America. Since January 2019, the highly-contagious disease has infected more than 700 people, mostly small children. The cases have emerged across the country, all the way from New York, which is facing its worst measles crisis since 2000, to Washington and California. According to the American Red Cross, as of April 26, 2019, 22 states have reported measles cases, and the number seems to be increasing daily. So what is measles, and why is the outbreak causing such anxiety? Read on . . ....

Shortly after graduating in 2012, Dutch fashion designer Bas Timmer heard some distressing news. While he had been busy sketching designs for warm weather clothing for his new brand, a friend's father, who was homeless, had died of hypothermia just meters away from his studio. The young innovator set aside his personal ambitions and instead used his design skills to create Sheltersuit — a waterproof, insulated jacket that doubles as a sleeping bag to protect the world's homeless and refugees, living in makeshift camps, against extreme weather....

Meteor showers, which happen when our planet traverses through debris streams left behind by passing comets, are a fairly common occurrence. While the tiny rocks usually burn up when they collide with our atmosphere, resulting in what we call "shooting stars," every so often one manages to survive the impact and land on Earth. That is precisely what appears to have happened in Costa Rica recently....

Teachers don't just educate students — they also act as counselors, problem-solvers, and in some cases, even social workers to help kids in need. Yet, these incredible individuals, who inspire kids to dream big and help them reach their potential, are often unappreciated and overlooked. To change that, since 2014, the Varkey Foundation — established to improve standards of education and raise the status and capacity of teachers worldwide — has been honoring the world's "real superheroes" with an annual $1 million Global Teacher Prize. This year's award, presented in a star-studded ceremony hosted by Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman in Dubai, UAE on March 24, 2019, went to Peter Tabichi from Kenya, Africa....

Comic book lovers, or anyone who enjoys free things, will be pleased to know that Saturday, May 4, 2019, is Free Comic Book Day. This means that you and your friends can walk into any one of the 2300+ participating vendors worldwide and obtain a copy of one, or more, of the 51 graphic novels that have been specially published for the event, without paying a cent....

While rain on Earth is associated with water, precipitation on the Sun comes as giant clumps of plasma, or supercharged gas, which drizzle down from the star's atmosphere on to its surface. Though coronal rain has been observed on numerous occasions, its source, which researchers believed would help them better understand how the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, gets so hot, had never been discovered. Now, thanks to Emily Mason, a graduate student at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., the mystery has finally been solved....

Given that even a six month stint at the International Space Station (ISS) causes astronauts to lose bone density and, in some cases, results in visual impairment, researchers have wondered if the human body can withstand a mission to Mars, which could take up to three years. Now, a groundbreaking study involving American twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly has found that while the body undergoes drastic changes when exposed to the weightless environment and space radiation for long durations, it mostly reverts to normal upon returning to Earth. This has led the experts to conclude that astronaut health can be "mostly sustained" for a year in space....