Chris Hadfield talks from space to Ontario students

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfieldspoke this morning from the International Space Station to students at a central Ontario school named after him.

The 53-year-old astronautwas introduced to thecheering elementary school students by the principal ofChris Hadfield Public School in Milton in southwestern Ontario, 55 kilometres west of Toronto.

Hadfield is on a five-month mission at the International Space Station that ends in May.

Playfully twirling the microphone in the air, Hadfield answered questions from the elementary school for25 minutes, at times performing weightless space tricks and strumming his guitar.

"The things I'm doing now, it's because I started working at it when i was your age," said Hadfield after being asked how to become a successful astronaut.

Hadfield saidthatduring the question and answer session he was passing overSouth America.

"The world is this beautiful, big blue curve," he said, promising to snap a picture of Milton once the clouds had cleared. "It's like a gift that suddenly gets opened every time you go to the window."

Canadian astronaut Jeremy R. Hansen, who was in attendance at the school, tweetedthatabout 800 students were gathered to hear from Hadfield.

Shyly seeking advice on how she could better draw a star, one Grade 2 student asked Hadfield if he could describe the stars he sees.

"From the space station, they look like perfect points of light," Hadfield said, adding that they come in a range of colours from purple to brown.

Hadfieldand his teamwent into space Dec. 19, blasting offfrom Kazakhstan.

Hewas born in Sarnia in southwestern Ontario,but raised in Milton.