At the age of nine, Neil deGrasse Tyson visits the Hayden Planetarium. It’s there that he discovers a curiosity for the cosmos, and along with it, where his future in astrophysics would begin. He was just a kid from the Bronx who dreamed of being a scientist. Son of a gerontologist and a sociologist, tyson was already on track to a career in science. But he didn’t know what he wanted to be until looking up into that beautiful night sky.
He recalls that “So strong was that imprint [of the night sky] that I’m certain that I had no choice in the matter, that in fact, the universe called to me.” He knew that’s what he wanted to study and do with his life, it was his purpose. Tyson goes on to explain that his astronomy courses offered by the same Hayden Planetarium was “the most formative period” of his life.…show more content… Sagan would become his advisor, his guide into astrophysics if you will. He reminisces back to the day Sagan invited his 17-year-old self for a day in Ithica, adding how Sagan give him his number and said, “If the bus can’t get through, call me. Spend the night at my home, with my family.” Tyson thinks of it as one of his founding days, already knowing what he wanted to do, but not be before their meeting,“I already knew I wanted to become a scientist. But that afternoon, I learned from Carl the kind of person I wanted to become.”
When asked about how Sagan continues to influence him he responds with “He reached out to me and to countless others. Inspiring so many of us to study, teach, and do science. Science is a cooperative enterprise, spanning the generations.” Sagan was constantly there for Tyson, and taught him everything he knew, much like an
