BUFFALO, N.Y. — The once-in-a-lifetime moment that recently happened in the area was a great opportunity to get kids excited about space and science.
One Western New York kid used it as an opportunity to teach other kids about the eclipse through his YouTube Channel.
Marcus Tom is only 9-years-old. He is a YouTuber from Allegany County who had created a seven-minute video to help other kids understand the solar eclipse.
"It's when the moon gets in between the sun. It's like photobombing the sun," Tom said.
It isn't often that a total solar eclipse is visible in the United States. "It stretches from Texas to Maine. It goes through 15 US states, Mexico, and part of Canada," he said.
The next time kids like him will get to see a total solar eclipse will be when they are adults. He says a safe way to view the solar eclipse is with special glasses, like his.
"It can cause permanent eye damage if you are not wearing them," he said.
Be sure that the glasses you get have the International Organization for Standardization 12312-2 code on the inside to be sure they are safe to use.
Tom dreams of becoming an astronaut someday. His father, Murphy says, he has been saying that since he was five-years-old and hopes he'll make his dreams come true too.
"I'm all for it except the part that he says he wants to go to Mars. I don't know about that trip," Murphy said.
The family canceled their trip to the Caribbean so that Tom could be one of the hundreds of people to see the eclipse from their homes. If you can get on the path of totality, Tom said that's the best way you'll be able to see it too.
Marcus's YouTube channel is called 'Planet Marcus.' He currently has more than 500 subscribers and has more than 300 views on his solar eclipse video.
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