Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Short Introduction

Tyson is most famous for popularizing science through his books such as The Pluto Files and appearances on television, including Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, his show about science.

DeGrasse Tyson: A Short Introduction

Astrophysicist, writer, educator, and television and radio host, Neil deGrasse Tyson are well-known for his work on the universe. He has written a column for Natural History magazine for the past decade, written bestselling non-fiction books, hosted a podcast and TV show, appeared on many television and radio shows, and has nearly 14 million Twitter followers. Likewise, Tyson serves as director of the Hayden Planetarium and astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History.

The Bronx high school student was contacted by Carl Sagan in 1975 about visiting Cornell University, where Sagan was teaching, as an aspiring astrophysicist. Neil was offered the opportunity to stay the night with Sagan if he had trouble catching the bus home. His education includes Harvard University, the University of Texas, and Columbia University. He has also served as a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “StarTalk” Radio Show

Tyson launched StarTalk, a one-hour radio talk show co-hosted with comedian Lynne Koplitz, in May 2009. Neil describes the show as covering "Everything under the sun; Or rather under the universe. It is a popular weekly radio show dedicated to all things astrophysics, with notable guests every week from scientists to celebrities.

Originally, the show ran for thirteen weeks, but it was resurrected in December 2010 with comedians Chuck Nice and Leighann Lord hosting instead of Koplitz. There have been guests from the world of science as well as celebrities such as GZA, Wil Wheaton, Sarah Silverman, and Bill Maher. Currently, the show is available as a podcast on the StarTalk network.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Books

1. Merlin's Tour of the Universe (1st ed. 1989; 2nd ed. 1998)
2. Universe Down to Earth (1994).
3. Just Visiting This Planet (1998).
4. One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos (2000).
5. Cosmic Horizons: Astronomy at the Cutting Edge (2000).
6. City of Stars: A New Yorker's Guide to the Cosmos (2002)
7. My Favorite Universe (a 12-part lecture series) (2003).
8. Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution (co-authored with Donald Goldsmith) (2004).
9. The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist (2004).
10. Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries (2007).
11. The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet (2009).
12. Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier (2012).
13. Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour (co-authored with Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott) (2016).
14. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (2017).
15. Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military (2018, with Avis Lang).
16. Letters from an Astrophysicist (2019).
17. Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going (2021).
18. Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization (2022).

Recognizes

• 2000 Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive, People magazine
• 2001 asteroid named: 13123 Tyson, renamed from Asteroid 1994KA by the International Astronomical Union
• 2001 The Tech 100, voted by editors of Crain's Magazine to be among the 100 most influential technology leaders in New York
• 2004 Fifty Most Important African-Americans in Research Science
• 2007 Harvard 100: Most Influential, Harvard Alumni magazine, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• 2007 The Time 100, voted by the editors of Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential persons in the world
• 2008 Discover Magazine selected him as one of "The 10 Most Influential People in Science"
• 2010 elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society

Is Neil DeGrasse Tyson married?

The wife of Neil deGrasse Tyson is Dr. Robin Tyson. The couple has two children: Aimee, born in 1987, and Terence, born in 1990. According to Neil deGrasse Tyson, Robin Tyson has the "most brilliant mind I've ever encountered."

What is Neil Degrasse Tyson famous for

Neil deGrasse Tyson is a well-known astronomer, astrophysicist, and science educator. Research on extraterrestrial life, the nature of stars, and the origins of the universe have made him an internationally known scientist. Furthermore, he has written several books on cosmology and related topics. The President of the United States awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008.

How did Neil Degrasse Tyson change the world?

Neil Degrasse Tyson changed the world by opening people's eyes to the dangers of the environment. He also showed that people can and do overcome their fears and achieve great things.