Star Talk

Sundays at 3pm EST

Did you miss the live show?
Go to Star Talk's archive page to hear the replay.

StarTalk  is the first and only popular commercial radio program devoted to all things space and is hosted by renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. As Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, President of the Planetary Society, and People Magazine’s Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive, Tyson makes regular appearances as the “nation’s expert on space” on major news programs and popular shows (Daily Show, Colbert Report)

Hilarity ensues as Tyson is joined each week by co-host and comedienne Lynne Koplitz of Comedy Central fame. Chiming in with her irreverent and pointed humor she represents the everyman and brings science down to Earth.

The program also features special guests and celebrity interviews. When asked what specific topics will be explored, Tyson said: “Everything under the sun… Or rather under the universe!” He continued by saying his audience would be “All the people who never knew how much they’d love learning about space and science.” One of the world’s most innovative space explorers will be interviewed in one of the first broadcasts.

Listeners may call in with questions and voice opinions on anything from Global Warming to Worm Holes to Sex in Space. Get smart and get entertained by StarTalk as mysteries are investigated, myths are exposed and truths are revealed!

Hosted By Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. Tyson went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia. Tyson’s professional research interests are broad, but include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way. Tyson obtains his data from the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as from telescopes in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and in the Andes Mountains of Chile.

In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a 12-member commission that studied the Future of the US Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.

In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a 9-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond” commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which will help guide NASA through its perennial need to fit its ambitious
vision into its restricted budget.

In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public. He is a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine under the title “Universe.” And among Tyson’s eight books is his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist and Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution co-written with Donald Goldsmith. Origins is the companion book to the PBS-NOVA 4-part mini-series Origins,  in which Tyson serves as on-camera host. The program premiered on September 28 and 29, 2004. And beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson appears as the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA’s spinofff program NOVA ScienceNow, which is an acessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.

Tyson’s latest book is the playful and informative Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Qunadaries, which was a New York Times bestseller. Tyson is the recipient of nine honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their official naming of asteroid “13123 Tyson”. On the lighter side, Tyson was voted “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive” by People Magazine in 2000.

Tyson is the first occupant of the Frederick P. Rose Directorship of the Hayden Planetarium. Tyson lives in New York City with his wife and two children.