Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist and science communicator. He was born in New York City in 1958. He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium. He makes space science exciting and easy to understand for everyone.

Early Life

Tyson became fascinated with the stars after visiting the Hayden Planetarium at age nine. He studied physics at Harvard and astronomy at Columbia University. He has devoted his career to sharing science with the public.

Neil deGrasse Tyson hosting a space celebration in Washington.
Neil deGrasse Tyson hosting a space celebration in Washington. (Bill Ingalls / Wikimedia Commons)

Big Achievements

Tyson became the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He hosted the TV show Cosmos, following in Carl Sagan's footsteps. He has written many books about space and science. He is one of the most popular science communicators in the world.

Fun Facts

  • Tyson was inspired to study the stars by a visit to a planetarium at age nine.
  • He has appeared on many TV shows and movies as himself.
  • He was on the committee that decided Pluto is no longer a planet.

Did You Know?

Tyson helped decide that Pluto should no longer be called a planet in 2006. This made many people upset, especially children. He has joked that he gets more hate mail about Pluto than anything else.