Neil deGrasse Tyson
Astrophysicist, author, Hayden Planetarium director and StarTalk host, sharing the universe through science, comedy and conversations with curious people.
At 100 nudges, fangea sends Neil’s team an official invite.
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Latest
Neil’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
National Geographic / Fox
W. W. Norton
National GeographicOverview
- From
- New York City
- Work
- Astrophysicist, author and science host
- Education
- Physics BA, Harvard; astrophysics PhD, Columbia, 1991
- At the planetarium
- Hayden Planetarium director since 1996
- On air
- StarTalk began in 2009; Cosmos followed in 2014
Mini bio
How it started.
As a child in New York City, Neil watched the Moon through binoculars from his apartment building’s roof. A visit to the Hayden Planetarium at nine helped spark his interest in astronomy. In 1996, he became its youngest director.
From research to readers.
He studied physics at Harvard and earned his astrophysics PhD at Columbia in 1991. His first book, Merlin’s Tour of the Universe, appeared in 1989, answering astronomy questions through the voice of a fictional traveler. He later wrote the Universe column for Natural History magazine.
Finding a wider audience.
Television brought his explanations into more homes, from NOVA ScienceNOW to the 2014 Cosmos series. With StarTalk, which began in 2009, he brought comedians and celebrity guests into conversations about science. His books offer another way in, including Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.
What he is making now.
He continues to host StarTalk while publishing books and collaborations. In 2026, those included Take Me to Your Leader, Lost in Space with Lindsey Nyx Walker, and the audio conversation Cosmos Confidential with William Shatner.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books and audio
- 2026Lost in SpaceCoauthor with Lindsey Nyx Walker
- 2026Take Me to Your LeaderAuthor
- 2026Cosmos ConfidentialCoauthor and narrator with William Shatner
- 2025Just Visiting This Planet, revised and updatedAuthor
- 2023To Infinity and BeyondCoauthor with Lindsey Nyx Walker
- 2017Astrophysics for People in a HurryAuthor
Television and podcasts
- 2020Cosmos: Possible WorldsOn-camera host
- 2014Cosmos: A Spacetime OdysseyHost, narrator and executive science editor
- 2009StarTalkCofounder and host
- 2006NOVA ScienceNOWHost, beginning in fall 2006
Awards
Quotes
The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.Neil deGrasse Tyson, official quotes archive
Featured on his official website’s collection of quotes.
Trivia
- An asteroid bears his name: 13123 Tyson.
- His brother, artist Stephen J. Tyson, illustrated the 2024 update of Merlin’s Tour of the Universe.
- Merlin was the pen name he used to answer readers’ astronomy questions in StarDate magazine.
Find Neil
Follow Neil’s cosmic thoughts, conversations and new work.
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