Ellen named a star after Xander and surprised him with some equipment so he could look at the stars in more detail.
Ellen Degeneres is one of our favourite sources of feel good content. We just love how she highlights so many positive stories and people from across the world. Our very own Dermot Kennedy was a musical guest on her show just last year. This week fans of The Ellen Show were blown away by an adorable five year old boy who is a total genius when it comes to facts about space. Xander, from Franklin in Tennessee, was a real life space encyclopedia.
Read Next
"I met five year old Xander and three minutes later had a degree in astrophysics"
Xander told Ellen that his favourite thing to learn about was astronomy because "space never ends". He spoke about loving all kinds of science. He loves biology but in "much smaller amounts".
"I like to go outside and collect leaves and go back inside and identify them"
The adorable five year old went on to explain to Ellen about noble gases and answered a trick question about Mercury. He explained that Mercury had no moons "because it's too close to the sun. The sun would just suck it up, with it's gravitational pull". Naturally his favourite element is Xion "because it starts with a X" like his name, Xander.
While talking to the fascinating little boy Ellen became visibly flustered proclaiming
"I'm in over my head already. WHY would I do a follow up question?"
In the final part of the interview Xander started to recite the life cycle of a star.
"the life cycle of a star is first a gas cloud, then it starts rotating, then the chord gets hot. Then it turns in to a protostar. A protostar doesn't have much size or mass to create nuclear fusion. Then it's a yellow dwarf"
The audience were completely baffled by the knowledge that Xander displayed. The five year old informed everyone that in a billion years "or so" we "just might have to live on Jupiter".
And in true Ellen style she had a little surprise for the amazingly talented Xander. She named a star after Xander and surprised him with some equipment so he could look at the stars in more detail. The little boy eagerly asked what the equipment was screaming "I LOVE IT".
Xander, I'd say you do Jolly Phonics in your sleep.
