Neil Degrasse Tyson
October 5, 1958-Present
General Information
- Born October 5, 1958 in New York City
- Attended Bronx High School of Science, Harvard, and Columbia University
- Currently married with 2 children
- Works at the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History
Contributions to Astronomy
- Popularized astronomy to new audiences
- Coined the term "manhattanhenge" to describe the two days annually on which the evening sun aligns with the cross streets of the street grid in Manhattan.
- He pushed to take away Pluto's title as a common planet. Tyson explained that he wanted to look at commonalities between objects, grouping terrestrial planets together, and Pluto with like objects rather than just simply counting it with the planets.
List of Events
- International Astronomical Union supported Tyson’s lead that Pluto should be excluded from planetary models
- Constantly brings astronomy to the general public in easy to understand ways
- One of the few African-Americans in the astrophysics field
- Served as a presidential adviser to George W. Bush (2001 and 2004)
- A part of the show NOVA ScienceNOW
“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
Did You Know...
- Tyson has co-written 11 books
- Voted "Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive" by People Magazine in 2000.