Eclipse: Space superfan's tips on how to watch the celestial event

Efan said the "coolest" thing he had seen while stargazing was Jupiter because "it was just so clear", but that his favourite planet was Neptune because of its Great Dark Spot, a vast storm system roughly the size of Earth.

In October, Efan met his hero, retired British European Space Agency astronaut Peake, during a book tour event after waiting "outside on the backstage door".

It was at this meeting that Peake told Efan the practical steps on how to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut.

They included getting an engineering degree or a Royal Air Force route, but also to "do good in school" and "stay fit and healthy".

To further increase his chances, Efan was advised to learn Russian because it can help facilitate training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, according to The European Space Agency.

He is currently on an almost 300-day Duolingo streak, and has learnt to say greetings like "good morning", familial relations and animals like dogs and cats.

Reporting from BBC News contributed to this story.