Spring Break
Astrophysicist discusses NASA
Andy Silva
Issue date: 4/16/03 Section: News
What would you like most: to have an asteroid named after you, be voted the sexiest astrophysicist alive or be the first person to receive a prestigious position at a planetarium? It is a difficult question, but one person can say they have all three of these.
Neil de Grasse Tyson, the Frederick P. Rose director of the Hayden Planetorium, has done all of the above and more in his career as an astrophysicist. According to his biography on amnh.org, Tyson studied physics at Harvard University and got his doctorate in astrophysics from Columbia University.
Tyson said having an asteroid named after him is pretty nice, with certain stipulations.
"It is very cool provided that it is not the kind that heads toward Earth," Tyson said. "There are like 13,000 asteroids, so it is not that rare a thing to have one named after you, but when it was announced I was still very excited."
Tyson has also written two books and been named the "sexiest astrophysicist alive" by People magazine in 2000. He said it is hard to pick which was more exciting for him.
"That is a toss up," Tyson said. "I put them about equal."
A doctorate in astrophysics was what drove Tyson to achieve. He said everything else beyond that has been great.
"My goal in life was a Ph.D. in astrophysics," Tyson said. "Everything after that has been fun. I do what feels right, I do what feels commensurate with my ability to perform."
Since the Columbia tragedy, Tyson said his job is relatively the same. He did say he now has different questions asked of him though.
"[It has not changed my job] much at all," Tyson said. "It has changed the things I talk about in public, but the nature of my job has not changed."
NASA is still currently investigating what went into the tragic events that led to the explosion of the Columbia space shuttle as it was flying over Texas. According to Tyson, it will take time to get back to the way it was.
"It does take a while to rebound, but in the past they have always rebounded," Tyson said.
Neil de Grasse Tyson, the Frederick P. Rose director of the Hayden Planetorium, has done all of the above and more in his career as an astrophysicist. According to his biography on amnh.org, Tyson studied physics at Harvard University and got his doctorate in astrophysics from Columbia University.
Tyson said having an asteroid named after him is pretty nice, with certain stipulations.
"It is very cool provided that it is not the kind that heads toward Earth," Tyson said. "There are like 13,000 asteroids, so it is not that rare a thing to have one named after you, but when it was announced I was still very excited."
Tyson has also written two books and been named the "sexiest astrophysicist alive" by People magazine in 2000. He said it is hard to pick which was more exciting for him.
"That is a toss up," Tyson said. "I put them about equal."
A doctorate in astrophysics was what drove Tyson to achieve. He said everything else beyond that has been great.
"My goal in life was a Ph.D. in astrophysics," Tyson said. "Everything after that has been fun. I do what feels right, I do what feels commensurate with my ability to perform."
Since the Columbia tragedy, Tyson said his job is relatively the same. He did say he now has different questions asked of him though.
"[It has not changed my job] much at all," Tyson said. "It has changed the things I talk about in public, but the nature of my job has not changed."
NASA is still currently investigating what went into the tragic events that led to the explosion of the Columbia space shuttle as it was flying over Texas. According to Tyson, it will take time to get back to the way it was.
"It does take a while to rebound, but in the past they have always rebounded," Tyson said.