He continued to study the stars throughout his teens. He even earned slight fame in the astronomy community by giving lectures on the subject when he was just fifteen. Unfortunately for Carl Sagan, who wished to recruit Tyson to study at Cornell University, Tyson decided instead to attend Harvard University, where he eventually earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in physics in 1980.

Three years later, In 1983, he went on to receive his ‘Master of Arts’ degree in astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. In the following years, while under the supervision of Professor Michael Rich at Columbia University, he received both a Master and Doctor of Philosophy degree in astrophysics.

In recent years, he has become an educator in the truest sense of the word. He works to increase scientific literacy to create a more informed public, and through this endeavor, he has inspired a generation. Find some of his most notable quotes below (did we miss your favorite? Be sure to post it in the comments).

1) On Teachers and Educators

2) On Grades and Our Value System

3) Why Science is Amazing

4) On Human's Control of Earth

5) On Life, the Universe, and Everything

6) Tyson's Life Philosophy

7) Our Relationship to the Universe & Spirituality

8) On Science and Interconnections and History

9) On "Badassitude"

10) The Most Interesting Fact