Allison Snyder, Maddy Ploof, Kezi VanGiesen and Emma Charland try on pairs of eclipse glasses given to them at a special Bloomingdale Elementary School assembly with Paul Smith’s College astronomy club members on Wednesday, March 27. (News photo — Aaron Marbone)

BLOOMINGDALE — Dozens of little hands shot up as students at Bloomingdale Elementary School asked questions about the upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse at a school assembly on Wednesday, March 27.

Paul Smith’s College students Emma Gniewek and Wesley Burkit — both seniors and leaders of the college’s astronomy club — came to talk with the students about the rare and special solar event, how to safely view it, how ancient cultures interpreted eclipses and what happens in space to make it happen.

MAP: See an interactive solar eclipse map.

Students were also each given a pair of eclipse glasses to be able to safely see it.

Bloomingdale Elementary Principal Katie Laba said she wanted to bring people in to talk to her students about the eclipse, so she emailed Saranac Lake Central School District Board of Education member and Paul Smith’s College professor Joe Henderson, who connected the elementary school with the college astronomy club.

Joseph Keith tries on a pair of eclipse glasses given to him at a special Bloomingdale Elementary School assembly with Paul Smith’s College astronomy club members on Wednesday, March 27 while remarking that he could not even see his friend Quynn Hunt, left. (News photo — Aaron Marbone)

Laba said she was impressed with Gniewek and Burkit’s ability to distill high-concept scientific ideas like particle physics, gravitational rotation and the creation of the moon to an elementary level

The two had never done a presentation like this before, but put together a slide show and answered questions for around half an hour.

Kids asked questions about how the sun and the moon can be the same size. Gniewek explained how even though the sun is “super-duper” big, because it is “super-duper” far away, it appears the same size as the moon from Earth.

Students wanted to know if they can see an eclipse while they are on vacation for spring break in North Carolina. Burkit said that they’ll still be able to see the partial eclipse and explained how to view it through a colander, and how to use the glasses safely.

The college students told the elementary students about myths from ancient human history that show how people from China and Egypt explained the eclipse, like a dragon eating the sun, or the sun and moon sharing a hug.

Students asked how a dragon could safely eat the sun, and Burkit pointed out that dragons are known to breath fire. Then students wondered about what would happen if there was a water dragon.

Gniewek saw the 2017 partial eclipse in southeastern Michigan. But neither of them have seen a total solar eclipse, and they’re both excited to be here in the direct path of totality.