Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson is a prominent American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, known for his engaging ability to popularize complex scientific concepts. Born on October 5, 1958, in Manhattan, New York, Tyson developed a passion for astronomy at a young age, inspired by visits to the Hayden Planetarium and his father’s gift of a telescope. He excelled academically, attending the prestigious Bronx High School of Science and later earning degrees from Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University.
Since 1996, Tyson has served as the director of the Hayden Planetarium, where he has made significant contributions to public science education. He is widely recognized for his work on television, notably hosting the acclaimed series "Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey" and its sequel, as well as the radio program "StarTalk." Throughout his career, he has authored numerous books aimed at making astronomy accessible to a general audience.
Tyson has received extensive accolades for his efforts to inspire public interest in science, including being named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. Despite facing challenges related to racism in his field, Tyson's dedication to astrophysics and his charismatic approach have made him a respected role model for aspiring scientists of all backgrounds.
Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Born: October 5, 1958
- Birthplace: New York, New York
Astrophysicist and writer
Tyson, an accomplished astrophysicist, became one of the most visible and respected scientists of the early twenty-first century. Through his numerous books, television appearances, public lectures, and radio shows, he has done much to popularize astronomy.
Area of achievement: Science and technology
Early Life
Neil deGrasse Tyson was born in Manhattan, New York, to Sunchita and Cyril Tyson on October 5, 1958. As a child, he often climbed to the top floor of the Skyview Apartments where he lived to gaze at the night sky through binoculars. His parents encouraged his interest in astronomy with regular trips to the Hayden Planetarium. In 1970, Tyson’s father bought him a telescope for his twelfth birthday, and his interest in the cosmos grew into an obsession. 
Tyson attended the Bronx High School of Science from 1972 to 1976 and also took after-school astronomy classes at the planetarium. He was an outstanding student and captain of the wrestling team. When he was fourteen years old, Tyson attended an astronomy camp in the Mojave Desert, and when he was fifteen, he began to make a name for himself by giving astronomy lectures. Stories about him piqued the interest of Cornell University astronomer Carl Sagan, who energetically recruited Tyson for the Cornell astronomy program. Tyson, however, attended Harvard University, where he majored in physics, was a member of the wrestling team, and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1980.
For graduate school, Tyson attended the University of Texas, Austin, where he earned his master’s degree in astronomy in 1983. He also was a member of a dance company. In 1985, he won a gold medal at a national ballroom dancing tournament in the International Latin style. In 1988, Tyson transferred to Columbia University, where he earned his doctorate in astrophysics in 1991.
Life’s Work
After graduate school, Tyson worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University for three years. He has headed New York's Hayden Planetarium since 1996, when he was appointed to the inaugural Frederick P. Rose Directorship. In 1997, he founded the Department of Astrophysics and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where he is a research associate.
In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Tyson to the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry. In 2004, President Bush appointed him to serve on the President’s Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy. For his work on these commissions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded Tyson its Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest honor given by NASA to nongovernmental civilians.
Although Tyson has published dozens of technical papers, he is most famous as a popular communicator of science. While he was in graduate school, Tyson wrote his first popular book on astronomy, Merlin’s Tour of the Universe (1989). In this book, a fictional character from another galaxy (Merlin) answers common astronomical questions. This book was the first of many that Tyson has written to present astronomy to the public. He also wrote the “Universe” column for Natural History magazine from 1995 to 2005.
Tyson also became a public media figure. His wit and theatrical flair make him engaging and effective at explaining science to general audiences. In 2004, he hosted the four-part Origins miniseries for PBS’s Nova program. From 2006 to 2011, Tyson was the host of PBS’s Nova ScienceNow. In 2009, with funding from the National Science Foundation, Tyson and comedian Lynn Koplitz started a commercial radio program and podcast called StarTalk, which helps nonprofessionals engage with modern science. In 2014, he hosted the thirteen-episode documentary series Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey on PBS. The show won several major awards, including four Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and two Critics Choice awards. In 2020, he returned to his role as Cosmos host for Cosmos: Possible Worlds.
Tyson has been honored extensively for his efforts to expand public knowledge of science. Time magazine named him one of the one hundred most influential people of 2007. In December 2008, Discover magazine listed him among the fifty best brains in science. His fellow astronomers honored him by naming the asteroid 13123 Tyson for him. In 2015, Tyson received the Public Welfare Medal from the US National Academy of Sciences for his "extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science, from atoms to the Universe."
By 2021, Tyson had written sixteen books and contributed to many more. In the 1990s, his books included Universe Down to Earth (1994) and Just Visiting This Planet (1998). He coauthored One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos (2000), winner of the American Institute of Physics 2001 Science Writing Award. He went on to write The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist (2000, 2004); Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, with Donald Goldsmith (2004); Death by Black Hole, and Other Cosmic Quandries (2007); The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet (2009); Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier (2012); StarTalk: The Book (2016), with the staff of StarTalk Radio and Television; Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour (2016), with Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott III; Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (2017), a best seller; Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance between Astrophysics and the Military (2018), with Avis Lang; Letters from an Astrophysicist (2019); and Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going (2021), with James Trefil.
Significance
When astronomer Carl Sagan, the famous popularizer of science, died in 1996, Tyson quickly took Sagan’s place as one of the most famous communicators of astronomical science to the public. His fluency with his subject and immensely likable demeanor endeared him to all kinds of viewers. His childlike fascination and awe for the universe inspired many people, even those with little formal education, to learn more about astronomy.
Tyson experienced racism in his field as he became an astrophysicist, but he said that he was so “deeply in love” with his subject that no one could stand in his way. He is truly a role model for any aspiring scientist, regardless of their skin hue.
Bibliography
"Curriculum Vitae." Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, 2021, www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/about/cv.php#books. Accessed 22 July 2021.
Mead, Rebecca. "Starman." The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2014, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/02/17/starman. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017.
Mirsky, Steve. “When the Sky Is Not the Limit.” Scientific American, vol. 282, no. 2 (2000), p. 28.
Tyson, Neil deGrasse. Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries. W. W. Norton, 2007.
Tyson, Neil deGrasse. The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet. W. W. Norton, 2009.
Tyson, Neil deGrasse. The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist. Doubleday, 2000.
Tyson, Neil deGrasse, and Donald Goldsmith. Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution. W. W. Norton, 2004.
Tyson, Neil deGrasse, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott. Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour. Princeton UP, 2016.
Tyson, Neil deGrasse. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. W. W. Norton, 2017.