Man who ‘killed’ Pluto coming to Vanderbilt

by Ann Marie Deer Owens | Posted on Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 — 6:37 PM

Tyson

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will speak at Vanderbilt University’s Langford Auditorium on Nov. 13.

The event, which begins at 7 p.m., is sold out. However, walk-ups are welcome for no-show ticket holders and late seating will be accommodated.

Tickets are free for Vanderbilt students; $5 for non-VU students and $10 for the general public.

Tyson received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Harvard University and his doctorate in astrophysics from Columbia University. He is the recipient of NASA’s highest civilian award, the Distinguished Public Service Medal.

Two of Tyson’s recent books are the playful and informative Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, which was a New York Times bestseller, and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, chronicling his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status. The PBS/NOVA documentary “The Pluto Files,” based on the book, premiered in March 2010.

For five seasons, beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson appeared as the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA’s spinoff program NOVA ScienceNOW, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.

Tyson’s talk is sponsored by the Vanderbilt University Speakers Committee. For more information, call 615-322-2430.

Contact: Bridgette Kohnhorst, (615) 322-2471
bridgette.k.kohnhorst@vanderbilt.edu

Contact:
Ann Marie Deer Owens, (615) 322-NEWS
annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu