Who

Tyson is director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of National History. He's also the sexiest astrophysicist alive according to People magazine.

Backstory

A Bronx native (rather appropriately, he grew up in an apartment complex called the Skyview), Tyson first went to the Hayden Planetarium when he was eight. It must have made an impression: He started taking astronomy classes at the planetarium a couple of years later and by the time he was a 15-year-old high school student at Bronx Science, he was delivering lectures on astronomy to his classmates. His interest in the subject (and his talent) caught the attention of Carl Sagan, who was then a professor at Cornell, and who tried to recruit him to the university. Tyson turned him down and enrolled at Harvard, going on to earn a master's from the University of Texas at Austin before returning to New York to get his PhD from Columbia in 1991. After teaching at Princeton for several years, in 1996 Tyson became the youngest director in the Hayden Planetarium's history. In 2000, he presided over the opening of a stunning new facility, the Rose Center for Earth and Space, financed by real estate developer Daniel Rose.

Of note

Occasionally described as a 21st century Carl Sagan, Tyson has become a pop culture icon thanks to his ability to explain complex theories in easy-to-understand language. His popularity may also have something to do with his looks: In 2000 he was named the "Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive" by People (although considering the competition included Steven Hawking, that might not be saying very much) and he has a rep as a natty dresser (by scientist standards, at least), often wearing snazzy items like vests festooned with moons and planets.

Since arriving at the Hayden Planetarium, Tyson has been responsible for establishing an astrophysics research department (there are now more than dozen PhDs on staff) and for beefing up the institution's educational offerings, particularly the number of classes offered to kids. He's been busy outside the planetarium, too: He pens the "Universe" column for Natural History and published a bestselling book, Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, in 2007. He's also a TV fixture. He's chatted with Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien and hosts the PBS program NOVA Science Now.

Personal

He met his wife, Alice Young, when she was studying for a PhD in mathematical physics. They married in 1988, have two kids, and live in the financial district.

Off hours

Tyson has won medals in Latin ballroom dancing. He's also a jazz and ballet dancer, and a former wrestler and rower.

No joke

He has an asteroid named after him. It's called "13123 Tyson."