Neil deGrasse Tyson

Born 1958 in New York City, Neil deGrasse Tyson is a renowned astronomer and astrophysicist, famous for popularizing science through his accessible books, TV and radio shows. After attending the Bronx High School of Science, in 1980 Tyson went on to receive his Bachelors degree in physics from Harvard University and three years later a Masters degree in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. He went on to Columbia University to pursue a second Masters degree and a Ph.D. in astrophysics in 1989 and 1991, respectively. His career in science truly began with his work at the Hayden Planetarium, a childhood love, and in 1995 he became director of the planetarium, a position Tyson still holds in 2015.

Besides his work with the Hayden Planetarium, Tyson became popular for his appearances on TV shows such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, in addition to hosting his own TV programs such as Origins and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, just to name a few. Tyson also wrote monthly essays in Natural History magazine for a decade (1995-2005) and has published ten books as of 2015, one of which, Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. Tyson also hosts a successful podcast show, StarTalk Radio, which aims to bring together comedians and science in an effort to make science accessible to everyone.

Tyson’s personal website is hosted by the Hayden Planetarium, and as of 2015 he also operates successful Facebook and Twitter pages with millions of followers. His podcast StarTalk Radio also has its own website where one may listen for free.

Selected Bibliography:

“About Neil DeGrasse Tyson.” Hayden Planetarium. Hayden Planetarium, n.d. Accessed 03 June 2015.

DeGrasse Tyson, Neil. Twitter. Twitter, n.d.

“Neil DeGrasse Tyson | Biography – American Astronomer.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Accessed 03 June 2015.

“Neil DeGrasse Tyson.” Facebook. Facebook, n.d. Accessed 03 June 2015.

“Neil DeGrasse Tyson.” Hayden Planetarium. Hayden Planetarium, n.d. Accessed 03 June 2015.

“Neil DeGrasse Tyson.” The Planetary Society. N.p., n.d. Accessed 03 June 2015.

StarTalk Radio Show by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Curved Light Productions, n.d. Accessed 03 June 2015.

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