Neil deGrasse Tyson is a rockstar astrophysicist; a dynamic explainer of what the universe is made of and how it all fits together. Near the top of his very long list of bona fides are directing the Hayden Planetarium at the Natural History Museum in New York City, Hosting Nova Science and getting Pluto stripped of its planet status.
He is an incredible champion for science and scientific literacy. He gave pH some stellar advice when asked what advice he could offer to young minorities entering the sciences, he told them to build their own role model rather than waiting for one, "if I had required a dark skinned role model to become an astrophysicst, I simply would not have become an astrophysicist." You can also listen to him telling us about a newly discovered planet that may be just right for sustaining life.
Dr. Tyson's professional research interests include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way. He obtains his data from the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as from telescopes in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and in the Andes Mountains of Chile. Dr. Tyson also told us about
In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a 12-member commission that studied the Future of the US Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.
In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a 9-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the Moon, Mars, and Beyond
commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which will help guide NASA through its perennial need to fit its ambitious vision into its restricted budget.
Beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson has appeared as the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA's spinoff program NOVA ScienceNOW, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.
Tyson is the recipient of twelve honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their official naming of asteroid 13123 Tyson
. On the lighter side, Tyson was voted Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive
by People Magazine in 2000.
Bio excerpted from the Hayden Planetarium.
