Neil deGrasse Tyson, born October 5, 1958, is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. He is celebrated for his ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public. Tyson's passion for astronomy ignited in his childhood, fueled by visits to the Hayden Planetarium and receiving a telescope from his father. He holds a BA in Physics from Harvard, a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia University, and has received 27 honorary doctorates.
Currently, Tyson serves as the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City, a position he has held since 1996. He also founded the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History in 1997, where he is a research associate. Tyson has hosted television shows such as NOVA ScienceNow and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and its sequel, Cosmos: Possible Worlds. He also hosts the StarTalk podcast. His contributions to science communication have earned him the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and the Public Welfare Medal from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. A recent project is the audio book "Cosmos Confidential" with William Shatner, released in February 2026.