Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator who directs the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Trained in astrophysics, he has written and broadcast widely about cosmology, planetary science, space exploration, and scientific literacy.

Tyson trained at Harvard, the University of Texas, and Columbia before joining the American Museum of Natural History and becoming director of the Hayden Planetarium. He helped lead the planetarium’s redesign and became a prominent interpreter of astronomy through books, lectures, radio, and the later Cosmos series. His public persona combines humor with disciplinary confidence, making him a frequent target for audiences who believe scientists dismiss witness testimony too quickly and a frequent ally for those demanding better measurements.

Tyson frequently discusses UFOs and extraterrestrial life in interviews and public talks. He regards life elsewhere as plausible but argues that eyewitness testimony and ambiguous images do not demonstrate alien visitation. He has called for high-quality, shareable data and often points to the ubiquity of cameras as a reason to expect better evidence if extraordinary craft are regularly present. Critics say this posture can dismiss trained military witnesses too quickly; Tyson’s core response is that expertise in aviation does not determine an unknown object’s origin.

Tyson has become a major skeptical voice in media coverage of UAP. Drawing on his career in astrophysics and science communication, he separates the probability of life elsewhere from claims that a particular object represents visitation. His recurring emphasis on stronger sensor evidence has made him a prominent representative of the mainstream scientific response to disclosure-era testimony.