It is likely that Neil Degrasse Tyson is not only a popular American astrophysicist but the most popular astrophysicist in the world. He is not only one of the most influential technology leaders at present but is also considered one of the most important men in the world of science. Given this, it was no surprise when Time Magazine named him one of the most influential people in the world in 2007; the same year he won the Klopsteg Memorial Award from the American Association of Physics Teachers.
To fully appreciate the extent of Neil Degrasse Tyson’s influence, one need only look back at his work, the prestigious positions he has held, and the wealth of fine awards and honors he has received. Of the frivolous ones, such as the nod he received from People magazine in 2000 as “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive”, Neil can boast that he has received most of the prestigious recognitions one could hope for both within and outside his professional field.
Neil Degrasse Tyson Bio
If you check Neil’s records, you will find that he was born on October 5, 1958, and that his birthplace was in Manhattan, New York City. Growing up in the city, little Neil attended public schools that eventually culminated in his graduation from Bronx High School of Science. He later received a BA in Physics from Harvard College (1980), a Master of Arts in Astronomy from Austin’s University of Texas (1983), and finally a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia University; this was in 1989.
Tyson is a research fellow in the Astrophysics Department of the American Museum of Natural History. In 2017 Neil, who is also famous as a science communicator, author, and actor, was awarded the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication and the Hubbard Medal of the National Geographical Society. But that’s not all, he also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Album. This was for the scientific book he published that same year – Astrophysics for People in a Rush. For a month, the book remained at the top of the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.
While there are many other thumbs up that we cannot fully outline here, we would not like to miss the opportunity to point out that Neil Degrasse Tyson has received no less than 20 honorary doctorates from various famous universities; that the International Astronomical Union renamed Asteroid 1994KA to 13123 Tyson to honor him, and that he has been honored with the highest award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that NASA can bestow on a non-governmental citizen, namely the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
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For obvious reasons, when it was necessary for the United States of America to understand the future of its aerospace industry, President Bush (2001) chose Tyson as one of the guys to work in a 12-member commission to get the job done. Three years later (2004), President reappointed Neil to a nine-member commission to oversee the implementation of the country’s space policy.
For the above and other reasons not mentioned, Neil Degrasse Tyson is celebrated as one of the most important African-American figures in research science. Although his professional research interests are wide-ranging, they revolve mainly around space science.
Neil Degrasse Tyson Family, Wife, and Daughter
As Neil Degrasse comes from a family of three children, of which he is the second child, he was able to build up his own successful family. Thanks to his passion for acquiring knowledge, which he inherited from his parents, he was able to build his own successful family. As we learned, his mother of Puerto Rican descent, Sunchita Maria, was highly educated, so she was appointed as a gerontologist in the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare, now known as the Department of Health and Human Services.
His father of African descent, Cyril Degrasse Tyson, was equally passionate about education. Records indicate that he was an eminent sociologist who served as the Human Resources Officer for the Mayor of New York City, John Lindsay. Neil Degrasse Tyson’s two siblings are Stephen Joseph Tyson and Lynn Antipas Tyson.
The astrophysicist married his wife Alice Young in 1988. The union was blessed with two children, a daughter named Miranda and a son named Travis. The family lives in downtown Manhattan, New York City. We understand that Neil Degrasse Tyson’s wife was once an IT manager at Bloomberg Financial Markets. It is said that she has a Ph.D. in mathematical physics and that they met and fell in love at the University of Texas, Austin. It was a physics class that brought them together.
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Neil Degrasse’s Net Worth
Given Neil’s many accomplishments, it is not surprising that people were curious to know the extent of the wealth he has achieved through his efforts. Although various figures would be found as Degras net worth, we would not authenticate any of these figures as they are not based on real records of his income, investments, and assets. As far as we can tell, the numbers were guessed in order to reassure the search for knowledge about the man’s net worth.
His Height, How Tall is Tyson?
If you’ve always wanted to know how tall the astrophysicist is, here’s your tidbit! Tyson is almost two inches taller than 6 feet (1.88 m).
