3Pre-IntermediateKidsAges 9-11Science

Space Rock Bennu Is Weaker Than Coffee!

Scientists found something amazing about an asteroid called Bennu. Its surface is very, very weak. It is 50 times weaker than ground coffee!

1 min readLevel 3September 6, 2026

By Flalingo Editorial Team

Vocabulary

Study these words before reading the article. Click the audio button to hear pronunciation.

surface

/ˈsɜːrfɪs/

noun

The outside or top part of something

“The surface of the table is very smooth.”

weak

/wiːk/

adjective

Not strong; easy to break

“The old bridge was too weak to hold the car.”

spacecraft

/ˈspeɪskræft/

noun

A vehicle that travels in space

“The spacecraft flew to the moon last year.”

discovery

/dɪˈskʌvəri/

noun

Finding something new or learning something for the first time

“The discovery of the old coins was very exciting.”

solid

/ˈsɒlɪd/

adjective

Hard and firm; not liquid or soft

“Ice is the solid form of water.”

loose

/luːs/

adjective

Not held tightly together; free to move

“The loose stones fell down the hill.”

Listen to Article

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Article

Click on any underlined word to see its definition. Highlighted words are from the vocabulary section.

There is a space rock called Bennu. It flies near Earth. NASA sent a spacecraft to visit it. The spacecraft is called OSIRIS-REx. It touched Bennu and took some rocks home!

Scientists studied the tiny pieces from Bennu. They found something surprising! Bennu is not a solid rock. It is like a pile of loose rocks. Its surface is very weak and soft.

How weak is Bennu? It is 50 times weaker than ground coffee! Bennu does not have enough fine dust. The dust helps hold rocks together. This discovery will help us learn about asteroids!

Comprehension Quiz

Test your understanding of the article with these multiple-choice questions.

1
What is the name of the space rock in the story?
2
How weak is Bennu compared to ground coffee?
3
What did NASA send to visit Bennu?
4
What does Bennu NOT have enough of?

Discussion

Answer these comprehension questions about the article.

1
What is the name of the asteroid in the article?
2
What spacecraft visited the asteroid Bennu?
3
How many times weaker is Bennu than ground coffee?
4
What is Bennu made of?
5
Why is Bennu's surface so weak?

Further Discussion

Share your opinions on these open-ended questions.

1
If you could visit any place in space, where would you go?
2
What would you do if you found a space rock in your garden?
3
Can you think of other things that are very weak or soft?
4
If you were a scientist, what would you like to discover?
5
What is your favorite thing about space?

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